A CAR driven by a rock musician ploughed into a family who were cycling to a campsite at Hanley Swan, near Malvern, after a birthday party.

Carolyn Oliver and her 14-year-old daughter Sophie were knocked from their bikes on the B4209 by Patrick Cook's Citroen, Worcester Crown Court was told.

Husband Paul saw his wife lying on the road in a pool of blood but miraculously, neither her or her daughter were seriously hurt.

Cook had been playing guitar with the Worried Men band at the Lamb Inn, West Malvern Road, Malvern, on the night of the accident.

Prosecutor Susan Cliff said he failed to stop at the crash scene, abandoned his car in Hanley Castle and then told police that it had been stolen.

Cook was convicted by a jury of careless driving but cleared of dangerous driving some months ago. He pleaded guilty to failing to stop, failing to report an accident and perverting the course of justice.

Judge Alistair McCreath was told that if Cook was jailed, two members of the three-piece band who had disabled dependents would suffer financial hardship.

He said Cook's "extreme inattention" had caused the accident and he had displayed "shameful and callous behaviour" by leaving the victims lying in the road. He passed a three-month jail term, suspended for 12 months, imposed a year-long driving ban and ordered Cook to do 250 hours community work.

The Oliver family, from Stanbridge in Bedfordshire, had been to a party in Welland on September 10 last year. They were cycling on Hanley Road when the crash happened at 2am.

Mrs Cliff said the cyclists wore fluorescent jackets and had strong cycle lights.

But 39-year-old Cook, of Whitehall Road, Bristol, failed to see them and collided with Mrs Oliver, the last in line.

He had served a three-year ban for two drink-driving offences and had a previous conviction for speeding.

Defence counsel Bernard O'Brien said Cook had only drunk two pints of shandy.

After the crash he panicked, abandoned his vehicle and got a lift home.