A roofer has been ordered off the roads for 12 months after being caught driving through Pembroke Dock after taking cannabis.

Neil Whitton, 40, was stopped by officers who were carrying out a stop check at London Road, around 11am on April 23.

A roadside drugs swipe proved positive and Whitton was taken into the police custody suite where he was asked to give further blood samples. These showed he had 3.2 ug/L of tetrahydrocannabinol in his blood. The specified legal limit is 2.

This week Whitton pleaded guilty to the offence of driving over the legal drug limit when he appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates.

He was legally represented in court by Mr Tom Lloyd, who informed magistrates that his client was diagnosed with ‘severe’ depression’ several years ago following the death of his grandfather.

“His grandfather was a father figure to him throughout his life,” said Mr Lloyd. “My client has since been given various medications to deal with it, but none of them have worked.

"As a result, when things get bad he self-medicates with cannabis, even though he knows that it’s wrong.”

Mr Lloyd went on to say that Whitton works as a roofer in the Carmarthen area.

“He’s started up his own business as a result of the quality of his work, so losing his licence is going to impact considerably on his ability to work,” he said.

In addition to the driving disqualification Whitton, of Barnsfield Terrace, Carmarthen, was fined £500 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £200 court surcharge.