Police said it was 'unacceptable and dangerous'

Martin Veens was spotted driving his left-hand 40-tonne truck erratically on the A55 road near Northop, Flintshire.

Prestatyn magistrates heard how the North Wales Police helicopter's camera filmed him holding and eating from a saucepan as he steered with his knees.

Veens, from the Netherlands, was banned from driving for a year.

At the hearing, magistrates were shown the footage taken by the police.

Chicken carcasses

Prestatyn magistrates heard how the North Wales Police helicopter's camera filmed him holding and eating from a saucepan as he steered with his knees.

It showed Veens, whose address was given in court as "care of HSF Logistics (UK), Blakenham", straddling the white lines in the road as he used his left hand to hold a saucepan of food and his right hand holding a fork as he steered the truck with his legs.

It was travelling up the steep Rhuallt Hill and was stopped a few miles further at Northop.

The court heard how Veens accepted his driving was dangerous.

His solicitor said it was agreed it had been an outstandingly stupid thing to do.

Martin Veens admitted he was driving dangerously

Veens was delivering chicken carcasses from Llangefni in Anglesey to Nottingham and had heated the spaghetti while the lorry was being loaded, the court heard.

He was banned from driving for a year and must take an extended test before driving a heavy goods vehicle again.

Chief Supt Geraint Anwyl, of North Wales Police, welcomed the sentence.

He said: "This is a further example of some of the unacceptable and dangerous practices of long-distance lorry drivers travelling on our roads.

"The frightening thing is that this is not an isolated incident."