A former squaddie was so high on the horse tranquilliser drug Ketamine he could barely stand up when he was stopped by police in Canterbury.

But ex-soldier Miles McCreadie - who had white powder all over his nose - claimed he had taken the illegal substance 24 hours earlier!

The 26-year-old was stopped driving his van near Old Dover Road during a visit to his family in the city in January.

Prosecutor Jim Harvey told Canterbury Crown Court how officers on patrol at 11pm spotted the van near the Riding Gate Roundabout.

He said: "The van crossed the roundabout at speed and the driver was not looking out for any oncoming vehicles.

"They followed the vehicle and saw it swerve across the road and stopped it. McCreadie struggled to sit up in the seat and his speech was slurred," he added.

He was breathalised – but the test proved negative for alcohol and "the officers realised he must have been under the influence of something else", the court heard.

"He had white powder over his nostrils and down the front of his jumper and was arrested.

"At the police station the powder was analysed and tested positive for Ketamine, in such quantities that it would have had behavioural and physiological effects such as was observed", said Mr Harvey.

McCreadie, who now lives in Hampshire, pleaded guilty to driving while unfit through drugs and was banned from driving for three years.

“You know very well that you have no business using Ketamine, which is not only detrimental to your own health but, much worse, you were a danger to other road users” - Judge Adele Williams

The court heard how he was involved in fund raising for Veterans In Action – a charity set up to help former servicemen who suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other problems.

McCreadie was in the army for two years before being medically discharged five years ago – and struggled to find a job.

His father, who runs an engineering company, brought McCreadie the van to do some work for him, the court heard.

In 2012 he was diagnosed as suffering from the neurological condition Tourette's Syndrome.

But Judge Adele Williams told him that with his condition taking the illegal drug “must have been the worst possible substance to take”

She gave McCreadie a four-month jail sentence suspended for two years and ordered to do 50 hours of unpaid work for the community, telling him: “You must regard this as positively your last chance. You won’t get another one.

“You know very well that you have no business using Ketamine, which is not only detrimental to your own health but, much worse, you were a danger to other road users.”

He was also fined £50 for breaching a previous suspended sentence.