A MAN who was stopped by police while driving after drinking on New Year’s Eve has been banned from driving.

Peter Michael Colquhoun, 34, of Dickinson Street, Darlington, appeared before a district judge at Darlington Magistrates’ Court where he pleaded guilty to driving while above the alcohol limit.

The court heard that Colquhoun was stopped by police on North Road at 2.25am on January 1 after he was spotted driving on the wrong side of the road.

He recorded 63mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mg in 100ml of breath.

Sam Brewster, mitigating, said: “He is desperately disappointed with himself for turning up in court today.

“He had been at his mother’s address and had a couple of drinks before he received a call from a family member to say that she’d had a row with her boyfriend. He felt fine and it was a short distance so he left to go and pick her up.”

District Judge Adrian Lower said: “I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that what you did was foolish. I’m afraid many people who drink think they are ok to drive – clearly you were not and you ended up on the wrong side of the road.”

Colquhoun was fined £165 and disqualified from driving for 17 months. He was ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £20 victim surcharge.