A MAN seen weaving between lanes on the M6 in Cumbria was stopped by police and found to be driving under the influence of drugs.

North and West Cumbria Magistrates Court heard 30-year-old defendant Anthony Nixon had ‘smoked cannabis since he was 13-years-old’.

Nixon, of Hayton Road, Harraby, Carlisle, pleaded guilty to driving a motor vehicle on January 18 when he had 10-micrograms of Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (cannabis) in his blood when the legal limit is 2.

Andy Travis, prosecuting, told the magistrates police officers on mobile patrol on the M6 northbound witnessed a black Mercedes car driving north and weaving between two-lanes.

They stopped the car on the Southwaite Services slip road and asked Nixon to take a drug swipe test at the scene.

Magistrates heard Nixon failed the drug swipe test and was arrested.

The car was searched but no drugs or related items were found.

His lawyer, Anthony Wilson, told the court his client`s car is “known” to the police.

The lawyer said Nixon had been travelling back to Cumbria after visiting his specialist dentist in Liverpool, and had documents to prove this. He said: “Let's make no bones about this — he was stopped for his previous record and the car is known to police.”

Nixon told officers he must have weaved between the lanes while he was looking at the police car following him.

Nixon admitted he had a ‘spliff’ the night before. He said he suffers anxiety and this helps, and he has used drugs since a teenager.

He has 15-previous convictions for 18-offences in his younger days there was previous offences for drugs, but he does not do that now.

Nixon was disqualified from driving for one-year with a fine of £120 prosecution costs of £85 and a victims surcharge of £34.