A Preston driver hit another car in Bolton while driving with a drug in his system.

Bolton Magistrates' Court heard Robert Rolston was involved in a collision on Wigan Road, Westhoughton, in December.

It emerged the 34-year-old had a derivative of cocaine in his system.

Suzanne Eckersley, prosecuting, said: “Police attended a road traffic collision at 12.45am on December 8, 2023.

“A Ford had collided with the rear of a Hyundai.

“A police constable spoke to the defendant who was the driver of the Ford vehicle.

“A drug swipe was administered, it came back positive for cocaine.

“The defendant had collided into the rear of the other vehicle.”

A further test was carried out at the police station which showed Rolston had benzoylecgonine, a derivative of cocaine, in his system.

Rolston, of Charnock Avenue, Penwortham, Preston, admitted driving with the drug in his system during the incident in December last year in Westhoughton.

The court heard his last conviction had come in 2018 but it was not similar to this one.

He opted to represent himself at court and spoke in his own defence.

He said: “It is my fault, I shouldn’t have done it.

“There are no excuses.

“I am living with my parents at the moment.

“I am going through the process of finding work.

“I have done a lot of work in fairgrounds.

“It is not easy trying to find work.”

Chair of the bench Joanne Halliday said: “For the offence of driving with a controlled drug in your system you are going to take 100 hours of unpaid work.”

She also ordered him to pay a victim surcharge of £114 and costs of £85.

She also banned him from the roads for a period of 18 months, saying: “You did crash.”