VAN driver Andrew Beatty admitted to police that he was reading a map before ploughing into a line of stationary cars on the A345 near Marlborough, magistrates heard on Thursday.

Beatty, 38, of Coleford Road, Southmead, Bristol, did not turn up at Kennet magistrates' court in Devizes last Thursday to answer a charge of careless driving on July 16 .

But the bench decided to go ahead with the case in his absence.

Simon Brenchley, prosecuting, told the court that one car was written off and others damaged when the white Vauxhall Kombo van failed to stop on the stretch of road between Chiseldon and Ogbourne St George.

Two witnesses had heard tyres screeching and saw in their rear view mirrors the van, its tyres smoking, skidding towards them before the impact.

Interviewed by police at the scene, Beatty said he had been reading a map to find out where he was. just before the accident happened.

He had looked up to see the line of cars ahead of him but had been unable to stop in time.

Magistrates were told that, up until July, Beatty had had ten penalty points on his licence but it was now clean.

They endorsed his licence with six penalty points and fined him £600 with £35 costs.