AN ELECTRICIAN caught behind the wheel while more than twice the legal drug-drive limit, has lost his job by being banned from driving.

Jayden Nasby, of Birch Gardens, Binstead, admitted driving a van while over the drug-drive limit on the morning of October 23 last year.

A police officer spotted Nasby was not wearing his seatbelt and pulled him over in Matthews Way, Nettlestone.

The 23-year-old told the police he smoked a cannabis joint a few days earlier and was given a roadside test, which tested positive, said Ann Smout, prosecuting, at the Isle of Wight Magistrates' Court on Monday (April 26).

At Newport Police Station, Nasby gave a reading of 4.3 microgrammes of cannabis derivative in his blood. The legal limit is 2.0.

Nasby had no previous convictions and there was no indication of poor driving, the bench was told.

Henry Farley, in mitigation, said because of his client's small van not having a rear window, he took off his seatbelt to make sure everything was safe behind him when making a reversing manoeuvre.

"He was not driving around in a carefree way without a seatbelt or with a cavalier approach to driving," said Mr Farley.

"It's a great shame. He is a hardworking young man, but he has effectively lost his job from today. On the Island, where you can get called out anywhere, you need a driving licence.

"Cannabis is not part of his lifestyle. He has kidney stones, but his medication is working so, fingers crossed, he no longer needs to use cannabis.

"This is a sharp learning curve for him — a major setback on his career path."

Nasby was banned from driving for a year and ordered to pay a £120 fine, with £85 costs and a £34 victim surcharge.