A man smoked cannabis before driving a tour coach full of passengers from Skegness to Bexley – a 150-mile and three-hour journey.

Azad Ali Malik, 42, from West Drayton, was arrested at Hall Place, Bexley, on November 10 last year after driving the tour coach, which contained 79 passengers, shortly after he had been seen smoking the drug by a passenger.

He stopped off at the Tudor mansion at 6.34pm and was due to drive to Victoria to finish the journey but police were called after a passenger accused him of not being in a fit state to drive.

On June 20 Malik admitted one charge of possessing cannabis, but pleaded not guilty to driving while unfit through drugs.

He was found guilty of the latter charge at Bromley Magistrates’ Court on Monday (December 15).

He was disqualified from driving for 20 months and ordered to pay a £100 fine and £270 costs.

He will be sentenced for the possession of cannabis charge at Inner London Crown Court tomorrow.