The owner of one of the Lake District's best known businesses has been jailed for 18 months for conspiring to pervert the course of justice.

Richard Hayes, of Hayes Garden Centre in Ambleside, attempted to lay the blame for a drink-driving offence on one of his employees.

Hayes and the employee, Derek Henderson, were charged after questions arose as to who the driver of a Porsche was when it was involved in a crash in November 2010 near Kendal.

Hayes was jailed for 18 months and Derek Henderson for 12 months.

“We hope that today’s convictions and sentences serve as a warning to other motorists who seek to evade the law," said Katie Micolson, senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West.

"The two men conspired together to deliberately mislead the police and the courts in relation to who was driving the car at the time of the collision.

"Hayes was arrested at the scene and was convicted after trial of driving over the alcohol limit and driving without due care and attention. He then lodged an appeal naming Henderson as the driver.

"However the judge was not satisfied with their version of events and asked for a further investigation into who was driving at the time."