Driver fined after satnav nearly takes him over cliff

A driver whose car was left teetering on the edge of a cliff after following his satnav was ordered to pay nearly £900 for driving without due care and attention.

Robert Jones, 43, nearly plunged down the 100ft cliff in his BMW after obeying instructions which sent him along a steep, narrow path, in Todmorden, West Yorkshire, on 22 March.

Jones, of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, denied the charge at Calderdale Magistrates' Court yesterday but was found guilty.

He was given a £370 fine and six penalty points on his driving licence.

He was also ordered to pay £500 costs and a £15 victim surcharge when he appeared in court.

Speaking after the incident earlier this year, Jones, who works as a driver, said he trusted his satnav system and relied on it for his job.

He said he continued to follow the instructions when it told him the footpath he was driving on was a road.

Police officers were called to the scene after reports that a BMW was hanging off the edge of a cliff off Bacup Road.