A Sutton motorist had been banned from driving without his knowledge, Skipton magistrates were told.

When Maciej Klimkiewicz, 33, was stopped by police on the A629 at Skipton on August 16, a check revealed he had been banned from driving more than a month earlier.

Klimkiewicz, of High Street, claimed he was unaware of the six-month ban which had been made by North Cumbria Magistrates.

The court heard the ban had been made under the totting-up procedure and was due to run until January.

Klimkiewicz, who admitted driving while disqualified and using a car without insurance, was Polish-born, but had lived in the country for several years. He was an engineer by trade, with no previous convictions.

In mitigation, John Mewies said Klimkiewicz knew about six points on his licence, but had been unaware of an additional six imposed at North Cumbria for failing to provide driver details in relation to a speeding offence.

He first knew about the ban when he was stopped by police in Skipton, said Mr Mewies.

Magistrates banned Klimkiewicz from driving for four months, to run concurrently with his current ban. They also fined him £250 and ordered him to pay £85 costs and a £15 victims surcharge.