A MAN, who failed to produce his driving licence to police after being stopped on three separate occasions, has been banned from driving for two years.

Paul Dixon, 35, of High Northgate, Darlington, had previously been found guilty of three counts of driving with no insurance and failing to produce his licence in his absence.

A further three charges of having no test certificate were withdrawn.

Yesterday, Stephen Rich, prosecuting, told Darlington Magistrates' Court that Dixon had been seen by police in three different streets in the town last year driving his Ford Sapphire.

Each time he failed to produce his licence and insurance documents.

In his own defence, Dixon said his former girlfriend had always dealt with the insurance. He did not have a bank account and had not realised it had not been paid. He said he had lost his licence so had been unable to produce it.

Dixon was fined £200 and given a total of 24 points on his licence for the three counts of driving with no insurance.

There was no separate penalty for the failure to produce his licence and he was ordered to pay £90 costs.

Under the totting-up procedure he was told he would lose his licence for two years.