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| Spaghetti-eating trucker jailed | Spaghetti-eating trucker jailed |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A lorry driver caught steering with his knees while he ate spaghetti from a pan has been jailed for eight weeks after he admitted dangerous driving. | A lorry driver caught steering with his knees while he ate spaghetti from a pan has been jailed for eight weeks after he admitted dangerous driving. |
| Martin Veens from the Netherlands, was spotted driving his left-hand 40-tonne truck erratically along the A55 road near Northop, Flintshire. | Martin Veens from the Netherlands, was spotted driving his left-hand 40-tonne truck erratically along the A55 road near Northop, Flintshire. |
| Prestatyn Magistrates heard how the North Wales Police helicopter's camera filmed him holding and eating from a saucepan as he steered with his knees. | Prestatyn Magistrates heard how the North Wales Police helicopter's camera filmed him holding and eating from a saucepan as he steered with his knees. |
| He was banned from driving for a year. | He was banned from driving for a year. |
| Magistrates were shown the footage taken by the police at the hearing. | Magistrates were shown the footage taken by the police at the hearing. |
| Chicken carcasses | |
| It showed Veens, who was driving for a logistics firm based at Blakenham near Ipswich, straddling the white lines in the road as he used his left hand to hold a saucepan of food and his right hand holding a fork and steered the truck with his legs. | It showed Veens, who was driving for a logistics firm based at Blakenham near Ipswich, straddling the white lines in the road as he used his left hand to hold a saucepan of food and his right hand holding a fork and steered the truck with his legs. |
| It was travelling up the steep Rhuallt Hill and was stopped a few miles further at Northop. | It was travelling up the steep Rhuallt Hill and was stopped a few miles further at Northop. |
| The court heard how Veens accepted his driving was dangerous. | The court heard how Veens accepted his driving was dangerous. |
| His solicitor said it was agreed it had been an outstandingly stupid thing to do. | His solicitor said it was agreed it had been an outstandingly stupid thing to do. |
| Veens was delivering chicken carcasses from Llangefni in Anglesey to Nottingham and had heated the spaghetti while the lorry was being loaded, the court heard. | Veens was delivering chicken carcasses from Llangefni in Anglesey to Nottingham and had heated the spaghetti while the lorry was being loaded, the court heard. |
| He had not eaten throughout the journey but only when he thought it was safe. | He had not eaten throughout the journey but only when he thought it was safe. |
| He was banned from driving for a year and must take an extended test before driving a heavy goods vehicle again. | He was banned from driving for a year and must take an extended test before driving a heavy goods vehicle again. |
| Chief Supt Geraint Anwyl, of North Wales Police, welcomed the sentence. | |
| He said: "This is a further example of some of the unacceptable and dangerous practices of long-distance lorry drivers travelling on our roads. | |
| "The frightening thing is that this is not an isolated incident." |