Man Banned from Driving after Report of Driver Inhaling Balloons at Wheel of Car
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A man has been banned from driving for more than two years after he was reportedly seen at the wheel inhaling balloons (suspected to be nitrous oxide).
The vehicle was then reported to have been driven erratically along Queen Elizabeth Way towards Ingleby Barwick.
Offices located the driver on Thornaby Road around 1am on 26th September 2025, where Special Constables from the Matrix team carried out a preliminary impairment test, before the man was arrested.
The man was later charged with driving a vehicle whilst unfit through drugs and on Thursday 29th January, 25-year-old Jordan Parkin, of Firbeck Walk in Thornaby, was banned from driving for 26 months at Teesside Magistrates Court. He was also ordered to pay court costs and a victim surcharge.
Matrix Inspector Scott Pearson said: “Officers are trained in carrying out roadside impairment and drug tests. We will continue to use these tools to identify and prosecute anyone we suspect may be putting themselves and the public at risk by driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. We won’t tolerate any behaviour that could contribute to a fatal or serious road traffic collision, and puts at risk the safety of other road users.”