POLICE who discovered a car owner committing drugs offences discovered he had a fake £50 note on him.

Declan Craig Payne, of St Mary's Street, Axbridge, pleaded guilty to possession of a counterfeit banknote which he knew or believed to be fake.

He also admitted possession of cannabis and being in charge of a vehicle while under the influence of Delta 9 Tetrahydrocannabinol when police questioned him at Cheddar Reservoir Car Park on September 4 last year.

Payne was handed a community order with 100 hours unpaid work and must pay fines totalling £330 along with a £95 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

A DRUG driver has been banned from the road for three years after pleading guilty to the offence at Taunton Magistrates' Courts.

Nathan Edward Johnson, 26, of The Avenue, Minehead, was found to have more than 7mg of Delta 9 Tetrahydrocannabinol in his blood after being stopped in Bridgwater on 25 August last year.

As well as being disqualified from driving for 36 months, Johnson was also fined £120 and ordered to pay a £34 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

ANTONIO Gray was disqualified from getting behind the wheel of a car for 16 months for drink driving.

Gray, 27, of Furzehill, Chard, admitted the offence he committed in Bridge Street, Taunton, on September 6 last year.

He was fined £120 with a £34 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

A MOTORIST was found to be driving under the influence of two different controlled drugs.

Ben Taylor pleaded guilty to having a quantity of cocaine and Benzoylecgonine in his blood while driving in Hamilton Road, Taunton, on August 8 last year.

Taylor, 31, of Stoney Furlong, Cheddon Fitzpaine, received a 12-month driving ban and was fined £120 with a £34 victim surcharge and £25 costs

He also admitted possession of cannabis on the same day, for which he was fined £80.

SHOPLIFTING £240.53-worth of items from Sainsbury's landed a thief with a £1,005 bill to pay.

Gigi Marcus. 46, of Beacon Close, Bathpool, denied the offence but was found guilty by magistrates.

They slapped a £200 fine on him and ordered him to pay a £30 victim surcharge and court costs of £775.