A MAN was banned from driving for six months after he admitted a series of motoring offences when he appeared before magistrates yesterday.

Gareth Michael Graham, 24, of Red Houses, High Etherley, pleaded guilty to driving a Ford Fiesta with no insurance and no MoT test certificate in Toft Hill on June 17.

He was fined £150 and penalised with six points on his licence for driving with no insurance and fined £30 for having no test certificate, with £35 costs. Graham also pleaded guilty to failure to produce his licence, for which there was no separate penalty.

Magistrates, at Newton Aycliffe, heard that Graham's licence was endorsed with three penalty points last June for a speeding offence.

Under totting-up rules, this meant an automatic six-month ban.