A VETERAN from Llangollen has lost his licence after 'recreational' drug use saw him testing positive for two substances at the roadside.

Ian Chard, of Pengwern, appeared at Wrexham Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

The 36-year-old admitted that on September 30 last year, he drove an Audi motor vehicle in Hampden Way, Plas Madoc, when the proportion of two controlled drugs in his blood exceeded the specified limit.

Suzanne Cartwright, prosecuting, told the court that when Chard was stopped by police, there had been "obvious signs of impairment."

When he was then tested, it was found he had more than 400 microgrammes of benzoylecgonine (a cocaine breakdown product referred to as BZE) in a litre of blood, the limit being 50.

He was also found to have more than 20 microgrammes of cocaine per litre of blood - the limit for that substance being 10.

Stephen Edwards, defending, described his client's use of the drug as "recreational."

He told the court: "Mr Chard says he'd been to a party two days before.

"The loss of his licence will cause him a major issue as he is heavily reliant on it for his job.

"He has served his country and is a veteran.

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"And he's entered his guilty plea at the earliest opportunity."

District Judge Gwyn Jones told the defendant: "It's clear there's some evidence of not brilliant driving, which is an aggravating feature.

"However you cooperated with the police, and entered a timely guilty plea."

The District Judge handed down a fine of £200 for each offence of drug driving and ordered the defendant to pay £85 costs."

The defendant was also banned from driving for 18 months.