A WARRANT has been issued for the arrest of a drug driver caught twice in just four days.

As reported in the Daily Echo, Steven Hicks, of Priory Road in West Moors, was ordered to go to rehab after his arrests.

He was first caught in Stanfield Road, Poole on May 12. On May 16, police found him behind the wheel of his Mercedes Vito van in Richmond Park Close, Bournemouth.

On both occasions, Hicks, 37, had cocaine and its primary derivative, benzoylecgonine, in his blood.

In August, he admitted four counts of driving with a proportion of a specified controlled drug above the specified limit before a district judge at Poole Magistrates’ Court.

The court heard Hicks was "slurring" and speaking slowly when he was arrested in Stanfield Road.

Asked by police if he had taken drugs, the defendant first said he didn’t know before later admitting he had taken cocaine.

He had 22 micrograms of cocaine and more than 200 micrograms of benzoylecgonine per litre of blood on the first occasion. The limits are 10 micrograms and 50 micrograms respectively.

On the second occasion, Hicks had 40 micrograms of cocaine and more than 800 micrograms of benzoylecgonine per litre of blood.

The defendant, who works in telecommunications, first began taking drugs after moving from Wimborne to Boscombe three years ago, it was heard, and is now said to be addicted to both cocaine and crack cocaine.

District judge Stephen Nicholls adjourned the sentence until November to allow Hicks, a dad-of-two, to tackle his drug issues.

The defendant was banned from driving on an interim basis ahead of the hearing, which was due to take place on November 2.

However, on the date of the sentence, Hicks failed to appear at the court and a warrant without bail was issued for his arrest.