A SLEEP-deprived van driver was struggling to stay awake moments before hitting a parked car, magistrates heard.

Billy Winterburn, 21, now of Rutland Street, Keighley, was recorded on the cab CCTV struggling to keep his eyes open and driving the 3.5 tonne Mercedes Sprinter van with his knees while eating and drinking, the court was told.

During the 55-mile journey from Nelson to Hovingham, near York, he poured himself a drink from a flask, opened a packet of biscuits held between his knees and dunked biscuits in his drink.

At one point in the footage shown to Skipton magistrates, he dropped something on the floor while negotiating a bend, and unravelled a roll of paper above his head before reaching down to clean up the mess.

He was also shown yawning, stretching, slumped over the steering wheel and driving with one hand.

Winterburn had been driving for more than an hour after starting work at 3.30am on June 22, having had just three hours sleep, when he ran into a Rover parked on the side of the road at Newburgh, Coxwold, York.

After initially denying dangerous driving, he changed his plea to guilty when presented with the 45 minutes of CCTV footage. He had already been sacked from his job with grocery delivery company Wellocks, the court heard.

The court heard he worked 12-hour days and drove up to 400 miles a day or 2,000 miles a week delivering perishable groceries to customers all over the country.

He was normally very diligent in making sure he had enough sleep and had quickly secured another job as a driver, although he would be losing that too.

In mitigation, John Mewies said Winterburn, who grew up in Bradley, was a hard working, industrious young man of previous good character who had suffered from a lack of sleep because of arguing with his girlfriend.

She had called him about 8pm the night before wanting him to pick her up and take her home to Steeton. He had arranged for his mother to collect her, but his mother had bought her back to him in Bradley instead.

They had argued, he had got out of bed to take her home to Steeton, eventually getting back to bed after midnight.

On arriving at the Nelson depot, he told his manager he was tired and felt too ill to drive, but was told he was at risk of losing his job if he failed to make the delivery.

Mr Mewies said although there were times he was not in full control of the van, there had been no incident until he got to Coxwold where he hit the parked car.

He added it was conjecture whether his eyes were closed at the point of collision, because of the collision, or because he was asleep at the time.

Winterburn was shortly to be a father for the first time, was very remorseful and had been shocked by the CCTV footage.

Magistrates, who did consider custody, imposed a 12-month community order with 120 hours unpaid work and banned him from driving for 18 months. He was warned he would have to take an extended test if he wanted to drive again. He was also ordered to pay costs of £200 and surcharge of £60.