A TAXI driver was found asleep in his vehicle which was in the middle of the road.

Blackburn magistrates heard police struggled to rouse Tahis Zaman and when they did manage to get him out of his vehicle he smelled strongly of cannabis.

Zaman, 34, of Carr Hall Road, Barrowford, was convicted after a trial of being in charge of a vehicle while over the legal limit for cannabis and possession of the drug. He was fined £200 with with £400 costs and an £80 victim surcharge. He was banned from driving for 12 months.

Deputy District Judge Timothy Gascoyne said as well as being found asleep in his taxi the judge had seen a photograph of him asleep in the custody suite.

“It could have been incredibly dangerous if you woke before the police arrived and decided to drive in that state,” he said.

Zulekha Bhuta, prosecuting, said police had to bang hard on the car windows to wake Zaman. He got out of the car, was slurring his words and smelled of cannabis.

Vaqas Latif, defending, said his client had a number of health issues.

“On the day he had taken a number of prescription medications and it was the combination of these and the cannabis which led to the condition he was in,” said Mr Latif.

“The reading of 3.2 against the legal limit of 2 is not a particularly high reading.”