A COUNTY Durham man who backed out of a police blood test when he saw the size of the needle has been banned from driving.

Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court was told on Thursday that police pulled over a van being driven by 30-year-old Alexander Carruthers in Shildon because it had a faulty light.

However, once the officers spoke to Carruthers they could smell cannabis and took him to the police station after a search of his van revealed a small quantity of the drug.

Mitigating, Nick Woodhouse said Carruthers agreed to a blood test but "rather lost his nerve" when he saw the size of the needle.

“He doesn’t like them at the best of times and he said this was a particularly big needle,” said Mr Woodhouse.

The court heard that Carruthers, of Bede Terrace, Bowburn, admitted to officers that he had a cannabis joint the evening before but had felt fine to drive.

He received a caution for the cannabis found in his van and pleaded guilty to failing to provide a specimen for police analysis – an offence that carries a mandatory driving disqualification.

Mr Woodhouse said that a driving ban would have "far reaching effects" for Carruthers as he would have to rely on public transport to get him to work in Bishop Auckland in time for a 6am start.

Magistrates disqualified him from driving for 12 months and ordered him to pay £235 in court fines and charges.