A motorist has been branded ‘the worst drug driver in Cheshire’ by police.

Nicholas Marrow, 30, from Hyde, took a cocktail of cannabis and cocaine before getting behind the wheel late at night in Macclesfield.

In March this year, the Government introduced minimum ‘legal limits’ for drug driving, even for illicit substances, to make it easier to catch and prosecute offenders.

When officers pulled Marrow over, he was four times the limit for cocaine and more than double the limit for cannabis.

Mark Roberts. Assistant Chief Constable of Cheshire Police said: “This is the worst case of drug driving that my team has ever dealt with.”

Marrow, of Firethorn Drive in Hyde, pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of illegal drugs when he appeared at Macclesfield Magistrates Court. He was banned from the wheel for 15 months, fined £200 and ordered to pay £205 court costs.

Cheshire Police stopped him on Alderley Road in Macclesfield at around 1.15am on Saturday, April 18, after traffic patrols because suspicious of his driving.

Officers caught a strong smell of cannabis and Marrow was given roadside analysis and full blood tests.

Mark Roberts. Assistant Chief Constable at Cheshire Police said: “This is the worst case of drug driving that my team has ever dealt with, and had Marrow not been stopped by officers on that night then we could be dealing with a more serious incident. Not only did Marrow cause risk to himself, but he also posed a risk to other innocent road users who were driving on that night.

“The sheer quantity of drugs that were in his system severely impaired Marrow’s driving ability, meaning that he would have been unable to respond appropriately to everyday driving hazards.”

For decades it has been an offence to drive while impaired by drugs but new regulations were introduced in March this year. They give specific legal limits for eight illegal drugs including cocaine, cannabis, ketamine and MDMA.