AN ELLESMERE tree surgeon returned to find his car "smashed by locals" after he was arrested by police for drug driving, a court has heard.

Robert McArthur, 34, admitted "foolishly" smoking cannabis shortly before driving his Volkswagen Golf along the A483 in Llynclys where he was pulled over by police just after 3pm on September 2, last year.

McArthur was working in the Llynclys area at the time and was taken to the police station in Newtown for a blood test that found he had three microgrammes per litre of blood, when the legal limit is two.

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Rebecca Klug, chairman of the magistrates' bench in Welshpool Magistrates' Court on Tuesday (March 28), said: "I’m sorry to hear that your car was damaged.

"That must have been a very distressing incident for you, but we will have to ban you from driving for 12 months."

Owain Jones, acting for McArthur, told the court: "There are no aggravating features or evidence of bad driving or second drugs. There is remorse he is sorry that he foolishly smoked shortly before driving.

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"He is concerned that losing his licence will affect his family life, especially picking up his children and dropping them off at school. He is a tree surgeon by trade and he does hope despite the ban he will continue to work.

"One extra thing to say is that his car was left at the scene and unfortunately it was smashed by locals. His work equipment was still there oddly. It's something he’s raised with the police."

McArthur, of Berwyn View, Ellesmere, was also ordered to pay a £400 fine, £160 victim surcharge, and £85 court costs after pleading guilty to drug driving.