A GALASHIELS motorist was found to be seven and a half times the legal drug limit when he was driving in the Langlee area of the town.

Thirty-year-old Greig Rennie pleaded guilty to the offence which happened in Laurel Grove on May 12 last year.

Depute fiscal Fiona Hamilton told Selkirk Sheriff Court the attention of police was drawn to the manner in which a Volkswagen vehicle was being driven in Melrose Road and Hawthorn Road at around 2pm.

It parked in Laurel Grove and officers could detect a strong smell of cannabis.

Rennie confirmed there was cannabis in the footwell of the car.

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He provided a negative breath test for alcohol but tested positive for drugs which was confirmed by blood times with the fiscal saying it amounted to seven and a half times the prescribed limit.

Defence lawyer Liam Alexander said: "He had a joint prior to driving and realises that was completely unacceptable."

He was described as being a regular cannabis smoker of between four and seven grammes a day.

The landscape gardener was banned from driving for 18 months and ordered to carry out 70 hours unpaid work as part of a Community Pay Back Order.

Sheriff Peter Paterson told him: "If you have a cannabis habit you should not be driving."