A church minister caught using his mobile phone while driving has avoided a road ban by claiming it would cause his congregation to 'suffer'.

Joseph Cherian, 55, faced a six-month ban after the offence at the wheel of his Land Rover on the M56 in Cheshire in December last year took his licence tally to 12 points.

But the senior pastor - who oversees 13 Pentecostal churches across the north of England and Wales, and is better known as Pastor Biju Cherian - convinced judges that his flock relied on his ability to drive, and so losing it would cause exceptional hardship.

He said he was the only official who could lead communion, baptisms, weddings and funerals at these churches.

Cherian, who lives in Prenton, Wirral, argued that public transport was not a viable alternative because his members sometimes needed him quickly in 'crisis moments'.

He claimed that several churches would close if he couldn't reach them, and so their congregations would lose their local point of worship.

Magistrates at a court in Chester accepted his case, and allowed him to carry on driving with 12 points on his licence.

Cherian, who lives with his wife, a specialist nurse at Arrowe Park Hospital, has been a minister for 25 years, and is based at Mahanaim Church of God in Old Trafford, Manchester.

But he also administrates 12 other churches in towns around the country, including Bangor in Wales, Preston and Burnley in Lancashire, Keighley in West Yorkshire, and Telford, Shrewsbury and Ludlow in Shropshire.

He was spotted by a police officer briefly handling his mobile phone for navigation purposes while driving on December 22 of last year - an offence which carries a mandatory six points. It is not clear how he incurred the other six points.

Specialist motoring lawyer Gwyn Lewis, representing Cherian, told the court the pastor racks up 5,000 miles on the road each month. He pointed out that it was 'extremely difficult' to drive 60,000 miles each year without 'getting a single point'.

He argued that Cherian's churches would 'not effectively be able to function' if he were not able to visit them, and that he would therefore lose his job and income.

The lawyer added: 'Hardship will be suffered by other individuals, individuals calling on him and for the welfare of the churches. Those individuals are those who would suffer.'

Cherian said he attends to his congregation for any need they may have, including 'personal counselling, family counselling [...] hospital visits, child dedications'.

He said some of the churches, such as Ludlow and Bangor, would 'definitely need to close' if he were banned from driving, because he 'cannot rely on public transport'.

Mr Lewis also called on letters written by members of his congregation in support of the pastor, and the role he plays in their lives.

The judges decided to add the six points to Cherian's licence, but to let him continue using the road.

He was also fined £492 and ordered to pay £327 in costs and a surcharge. 

JP Ian Williams said: 'You are [responding to] the needs of your congregation and the needs that you are often asked to come out for in crisis times.

'That is something we admire that you do and we are sure the people here are eternally grateful.'