A MAN was spotted staggering at an Inverkeithing garage after taking a "cocktail" of drugs.

Staff at Inverkeithing Auto Repairs contacted police after Shaun Ferguson arrived at their premises to get his tyre fixed as they believed he was in an unfit state to drive.

Appearing for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court on Wednesday, Ferguson, 38, of Droverhall Place, Crossgates, had previously admitted that on March 29,r at Inverkeithing Auto Repairs, he drove while unfit to do so through drink or drugs.

Depute fiscal Laura McManus said police arrived and Ferguson provided a negative breath test. Blood tests were later taken which revealed he had a range of drugs in his system, including amphetamine, codeine and other prescribed drugs.

Solicitor Aimee Allan said her client fully accepted he was driving while unfit to do so. "He is prescribed most of the medication but clearly not amphetamine," she said. "On the date in question, he advises he had taken a double dose of his medication and that is what led him to be unfit. He believed when he set off he would be fine and accepts now that he was not."

Sheriff Charles Macnair said although Ferguson had a previous conviction for drink-driving, he was "just prepared" to deal with the matter with a non-custodial sentence.

"It is quite remarkable that you thought you could drive with that amount of drugs," he told him. "On top of this cocktail of prescribed drugs, you also took an unlawful drug, namely amphetamine."

He placed him on a community payback order with supervision for 18 months. Ferguson was also ordered to do 180 hours of unpaid work within six months and banned from driving for three years.