A DELIVERY driver who attempted to drive his high sided van across the Forth Road Bridge in winds exceeding 80mph has been banned for a year.

David Stanley, 63, a delivery driver for bedmakers Warren Evans of London, was on his way back to England last year when he drove his lightweight "Luton" transit van across the road bridge in "extremely dangerous" weather conditions.

The winds caused the vehicle to blow over to a 45 degree angle, damage hand railings and causing the bridge to be closed to all vehicles for two hours.

All homeowners below the A90, where the incident took place, were warned they might have to be evacuated from their home due to the dangerous circumstances.

Dunfermline Sheriff Court heard that on December 5 2013 the Forth Road Bridge had been closed to high sided vehicles from 4am that day.

Stanley had been driving back to London along with his fellow work mate, Steven Fitzsimmons, 39, after staying over night in Perth but claimed the pair had only seen the sign saying the bridge was closed a mile in advance - by which point they had missed the last slip road.

Stanley told the court: "We said we would get up early to avoid the snow because that's what had been forecast.

"I've never been in this part of Scotland before. I didn't have a clue where the bridge was, nobody stopped us or anything to tell us it was closed like what they would do in London.

"We seen a lay-by but it was already full up with other lorries. If I'd known the bridge was as close I would have stopped. "I couldn't reverse back because there was cars behind us."

Stanley, of Sprules Road, London was found guilty of dangerous driving and failing to comply with road signs that instructed him that the bridge was closed. He had denied the charge.

Sherriff Abercrombie said the whole affair was "a pretty horrendous matter".