A YOUNG man who went for a drive after a row with his father and girlfriend, despite the fact that he was disqualified from driving, altered the number plate on his car to avoid detection by police, magistrates in Swindon heard on Wednesday.

Ben Robert Malcom Campbell, 20, was spotted sitting in his Vauxhall Astra parked in a lorry storage area outside Ramsbury, near Marlborough, by police on November 17 this year.

Campbell, who had earlier in the year had his licence revoked for driving without insurance, drove off when he saw police approaching him.

He turned out of the lorry park towards Ramsbury but was prevented from going far by a reversing lorry, prosecutor Pauline Lambert told the magistrates.

He immediately told the police he had no licence nor insurance because his licence had been revoked earlier in the year.

He also disclosed that he had doctored the car’s registration plate with black tape so the genuine number, AF05, appeared as AE05, to avoid number plate recognition.

“It was a deliberate act to avoid arrest as a disqualified driver,” Ms Lambert said.

On searching the car Police found a small bag of cannabis and a set of scales, which Campbell said were for his own personal use.

Defending, Sambreen Arif said she had spoken to both Campbell and his father and established that Campbell suffered from autism and ADHD (attention deficit disorder).

She said that disclosing everything to the police the moment they stopped him was part and parcel of his condition.

She added that Campbell had had a falling out with his father and girlfriend earlier in the day and wanted to drive the car to the aerodrome to calm down.

Campbell admitted five offences connected with the incident, was placed on a 12-month community order with 25 rehabilitation activity days and received six penalty points to add to the six already on his licence. He was disqualified from driving for 12 months.He was fined £120 for having no insurance, £80 for possession of cannabis, £80 for failing to stop and ordered to pay court costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £85.

The magistrates ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the cannabis and the scales.