A taxi driver has been banned from the road after he was found to be 12 times over the legal limit for a drug.

Christopher Noonan was caught behind the wheel of a motor van while he had 681mg of Benzoylecgonine per litre of blood.

Noonan was pulled over by officers at Whitehall Road, Edinburgh on July 7, 2021.

The legal limit for the drug is just 50mg per litre of blood.

Noonan, of Steading View, Tranent, was also convicted of a careless driving charge that took place on the A720 road near to the Sheriffhall Roundabout on the outskirts of Musselburgh on January 23 last year.

On this occasion, the 37-year-old admitted failing to keep a proper lookout and crashed into the back of vehicle while he was using a mobile phone.

Noonan pleaded guilty to both charges when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month and was back in the dock for sentencing last Friday.

Solicitor Jonathan Campbell told the court his client was suffering from a diazepam problem at the time of the offences and was only driving a taxi in the charge relating to careless driving.

Mr Campbell said the unemployed motorist no longer worked as a taxi driver after being sacked by the company he worked for at the time.

The lawyer added it was “highly unlikely” Noonan would work as taxi driver again and that he was suffering from mental health problems and had been self diagnosing with Valium.

Sheriff Ian Anderson banned Noonan from driving for 18 months and ordered him to carry out 75 hours of unpaid work as an alternative to paying a fine.

Noonan was also fined £160 for the careless driving offence.