A SLEEP-deprived van driver from Keighley was struggling to stay awake moments before hitting a parked car, Skipton magistrates heard.

Billy Winterburn, 21, was recorded on the cab CCTV struggling to keep his eyes open and driving the 3.5-tonne Mercedes Sprinter van with his knees while eating and drinking, the court was told.

During the 55-mile journey from Nelson to Hovingham, near York, he poured himself a drink from a flask, opened a packet of biscuits held between his knees and dunked them in his drink.

At one point in the footage shown in court, he dropped something on the floor while negotiating a bend, and unravelled a roll of paper above his head before reaching down to clean up the mess.

He was also shown yawning, stretching, slumped over the steering wheel and driving with one hand.

Winterburn had been driving for more than an hour after starting work at 3.30am on June 22, having had just three hours' sleep, when he ran into a Rover parked on the side of the road at Newburgh, Coxwold, York.

After initially denying dangerous driving, he changed his plea to guilty when presented with the 45 minutes of CCTV footage. He had already been sacked from his job with grocery delivery company Wellocks, the court heard.

Magistrates were told he worked 12-hour days and drove up to 400 miles a day. He had quickly secured another job as a driver, although he would be losing that, too.

In mitigation, John Mewies said Winterburn, who grew up in Bradley, was a hard-working, industrious young man of previous good character, who had suffered from a lack of sleep because of arguing with his girlfriend.

On arriving at the Nelson depot, he told his manager he was tired and felt too ill to drive, but was told he was at risk of losing his job if he failed to make the delivery.

Mr Mewies said it was conjecture whether his eyes were closed at the point of collision because of the collision or because he was asleep at the time.

It was said Winterburn, now of Rutland Street in Keighley, was shortly to be a father for the first time, was very remorseful and had been shocked by the CCTV footage.

Magistrates, who did consider custody, imposed a 12-month community order with 120 hours' unpaid work and banned him from driving for 18 months. He was warned he would have to take an extended test if he wanted to drive again. He was also ordered to pay costs of £200 and a £60 surcharge.