A dock worker had been drinking and taking cocaine before crashing his car and fleeing the scene.

Michael Underwood, 27, was at the wheel of his Ford Focus in Lower Road, Eastchurch, when the collision happened, in the early hours of May 14 last year.

After striking the other vehicle he ran into a nearby field.

However, police quickly arrived at the scene and an officer caught up with the Sheerness Dock worker and he was arrested.

Underwood, of Park Road, Sheerness, was later charged with drink-driving and two counts of drug-driving and admitted the offences when he appeared at Medway Magistrates’ Court on December 15.

The court heard when he was given a blood test, he gave a reading of 119 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80.

The court also heard Underwood had benzoylecgonine in his blood, a metabolite of cocaine. When tested he gave a reading of 261 micrograms per litre of blood. The legal limit is 50.

He also had cocaine in his blood and gave a reading of 29, when tested. The legal limit is 10.

Elizabeth Green, prosecuting, told the court: “It was 6.30am and his Ford Focus crashed into the back of another car and then into a fence and he ran off into a field.”

Defending himself, Underwood said he was really sorry for what he had done.

He added: “I only really drink at weekends and I have a medical condition. I have cut the drink out. I am on a zero-hours contract at the docks in Sheerness and at the moment I have debts of about £3,500.”

District Judge Stephen Leake also heard Underwood had no previous convictions and banned him from driving for 16 months for the offences.

He decided to place him on a community order which will see him wear an alcohol abstinence tag for 90 days.

Underwood must also attend five rehabilitation sessions and pay a £95 victim surcharge and £85 in court costs.

Kent Police is currently running its annual campaign to crack down on those who get behind the wheel under the influence over the Christmas and New Year period.

Officers will ask for roadside breath tests from all drivers who commit a moving road traffic offence, regardless of whether or not they suspect a drink-driving offence.

Up to October 30, there have been 312 collisions where drink or drugs were a factor.