A LORRY driver who fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into the garden wall of a house near the Leadburn junction in the Borders has been allowed to keep his licence.

Selkirk Sheriff Court was told heard a section of the garden wall was destroyed when Michael Roger "nodded off" and lost control of his Scania truck on the A701 at Whim – two miles west of the Leadburn Junction – on January 31 last year.

The 35-year-old, from Carlisle, was originally charged with dangerous driving but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of careless driving, and was fined £400 and had seven penalty points added to his licence.

A £20 Victim Surcharge was also added.

But passing sentence, Sheriff Peter Paterson warned Roger – who already had three penalty points on his driving licence – that one more offence would likely lead to an automatic disqualification under the totting-up procedure.

The court heard the people living in the house were woken by the accident which happened around 4.40am – with the damage rendering the vehicle un-drivable.

The Scania's tachograph showed Roger had only been driving for one hour and 38 minutes.

Defence lawyer Ed Hulme said it had been a momentary lapse of concentration and his client lost his job as a result of the incident.

He added Roger still works in the motor trade but had modified his driving habits so he no longer has to make journeys at that time in the morning.