A LEARNER driver who had gone to pick up a friend in the early hours of the morning was over the cannabis limit.

Police were on duty at 3.45am on April 16 when they saw a Seat Arona drive past at the junction of Queen Street and Lowther Street in Whitehaven.

Lauren Orme, 26, who was driving the car, was seen quite far forward to the steering wheel.

Pamela Fee, prosecuting at Workington Magistrates’ Court, said police officers followed the defendant, who was driving as slow as 15mph in a 30mph limit.

The vehicle, which had two male passengers, was stopped on the A595 at Parton. A breath test was negative.

Orme told police that she smokes cannabis and had last used it the previous evening. A drugs wipe was positive for cannabis and she was arrested and taken to the police station.

A blood sample revealed she had 4.6mcg Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol per litre of blood. The limit is 2mcg.

Orme, of Bolton Street, Workington, pleaded guilty to driving a motor vehicle with a proportion of a specified controlled drug above the specified limit.

John Cooper, defending, said: “It’s a guilty plea at the first available opportunity and first time before the court.

“She had L plates on the car. She was learning to drive. A friend who normally sits in with her needed picked up from Whitehaven.

“Driving quite slowly and sitting close to the wheel – she is a learner driver. That may explain some of it.

“Once stopped, she is cooperative throughout.”

Orme was disqualified from driving for 12 months. She was fined £120 and must pay £85 costs and a £48 victim surcharge.