A FARM worker who caused chaos on one of Scotland’s busiest roads when he spilled his load of potatoes is facing a jail sentence after it was revealed he was already banned from the road.

Steven Cull lost control of the huge load of spuds when his tractor and trailer keeled over on the A1 near Dunbar last Wednesday morning.

Hundreds of potatoes scattered onto the dual carriageway, causing rush-hour chaos, with police forced to close the road for three hours for the clean-up to take place at Thistly Cross Roundabout, near West Barns.

Cull, of Lammermuir Crescent, claimed he was only on the road for a short distance as he had been told by his employer to transport the trailer full of vegetables from one field to another.

But following the accident, police officers discovered that the 22-year-old tractor driver had been jailed last September after he had been caught driving while disqualified in nearby Macmerry.

Cull was jailed for three months by a sheriff in June last year and told he could not drive for three years when he pleaded guilty to being behind the wheel of a car despite previously being banned.

Now the labourer is facing another jail term after he pleaded guilty to driving the tractor while serving the three-year ban at the Capital court on Friday.

Prosecutor Clare Kennedy told the court that several members of the public phoned the police to inform them of the potato spillage on the A1 at about 7.40am on September 16.

Ms Kennedy said: “Officers attended and by that time the carriageway had been partially cleared and the tractor trailer Mr Cull was driving was overturned.

“It was confirmed that Mr Cull had been driving the tractor at the time and that he was disqualified.”

Solicitor Mark Hutchison said that his client recently began working at a nearby farm in order to afford birthday presents for his son.

The lawyer said: “He was asked to drive the tractor from one field to another and unfortunately had to go onto a public road.

“Mr Cull didn't want to tell his employers that he was banned as he didn't want to lose the job.

“I was hoping my Lord would consider an alternative to custody.”

Sheriff Adrian Cottam told Cull: “I will give you an opportunity to have the reports prepared while you are at liberty.

“If you don’t cooperate with them or if you drive again in the meantime you will ruin any chance you may have of avoiding custody.”

The sheriff deferred sentence to next month for reports and a restriction of liberty assessment to be prepared.

Cull pleaded guilty to driving a tractor while disqualified from driving on the A1 near Dunbar on September 16.