A motorist who was caught drug and drink driving on two separate occasions had ignored advice from his family both times.

Blackburn Magistrates' Court heard that on the second occasion, Joshua Shorrock was taking his 12-year-old brother to football on a Sunday morning.

Shorrock, 24, of Infirmary Street, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to driving while over the limit for cannabis on December 3 and drink driving on May 5.

He was made subject to a community order for 12 months with a 120-day alcohol abstinence monitoring requirement and a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

He was banned from driving for 36 months and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £114 victim surcharge.

Scott Parker, prosecuting, said on December 3 officers on duty in Whalley Road, Great Harwood, saw a car travelling below the speed limit and being driven erratically.

As they followed they could smell cannabis coming from the vehicle.

The court heard Shorrock had smoked a cannabis joint before going to a carvery.

He told the probation officer preparing a pre-sentence report that his partner had offered to drive but he said he felt perfectly okay.

A drugs test showed he had 2.9 micrograms of cannabis per litre of blood in his system, over the legal limit of 2mcg per litre.

Then, in May, the officers were on the Junction 6 slip road of the M65 at 8.50am when a vehicle passed them at speed and entered the motorway.

“The officer had to travel at excessive speed to catch up,” said Mr Parker.

“When he stopped the vehicle he found there was a child in it.”

Shorrock's parents had gone out on the Saturday night and asked Shorrock if he would take his brother to football on the Sunday morning.

They had warned him not to go out drinking on the Saturday, and he said he went out only intending to have a couple of pints but ended up staying until the pub closed.

During a breathalyser test he blew 62 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath, over the legal limit of 35mcg per 100ml.

As a result of the offences, Shorrock had lost his job with the council but had since found employment in a warehouse.

Gareth Price, in mitigation, said his client was due to become a father in a few months.

“He knows it is time to grow up and become more responsible,” added Mr Price.