A pensioner whose car careered across a road and hit a give way sign was found when police matched a piece of the debris to his car, a court was told.

Prosecutor Michael Jelski said 80-year-old William Stanley Hunter’s Renault Modus was seen crossing to the opposite side of Groves Road in Douglas before it collided with the sign at the edge of Spring Valley Road.

Police who later went to investigate the scene found a broken off wing mirror next to the sign.

When they visited Hunter’s address, at Cedar Grove in Douglas, they found his car parked there with the off-side wing mirror missing.

He told police he had driven home from Johnny Watterson’s Lane. He accepted the mirror belonged to his car but said he had no recollection of having an accident on the day.

The defendant provided a postal admission to one charge of careless driving, committed at around 8.40pm on February 21.

However, the court was told the defendant had not taken the opportunity to offer any words of mitigation on the returned form in relation to the offence. Nor had he given any indication of his means.

In addition, magistrates said the court would need to have the paper part of the defendant’s driving licence in order to pursue the matter further.

For the prosecution, Michael Jelski told the court the defendant had no previous convictions. He asked the court to approve a £50 contribution towards the cost of pursuing the prosecution.

Chairman of the bench, Carol Maddrell said: ’We have the power to ban him from driving pending retaking his test, on grounds of road safety.

’We will adjourn this case so he can attend court and produce the paper part of his licence.’

He appears on May 18.