A SOCIAL worker went out drinking then crashed his 4x4 vehicle into a police car.

Liesser Noel Francis Bradbrook, who was almost three times over the legal alcohol limit, was yesterday banned from driving for three years.

Bradbrook, who admitted the offence, was also sentenced to a 12-month rehabilitation order when he appeared at Bishop Auckland Magistrates' Court, County Durham. The court heard the 45-year-old had been enjoying an evening with friends in Newton Aycliffe where he had admitted "having a couple" before setting off to his home in Linburn Drive, Bishop Auckland, at about midnight on February 5 this year.

He pulled out of a junction, colliding with a marked police car which was taking a member of the public to Newton Aycliffe Police Station.

Bradbrook drove another 150 yards before pulling over his Vauxhall Frontera car and became abusive towards one of the police officers.

He had 231 mgs of alcohol in 100 mls of blood. The legal limit for driving is 80 mgs.

He appeared in court yesterday to be sentenced for being over the drink-drive limit, driving without due care and attention and using threatening or abusive behaviour.

Alison Banks, mitigating, said that Bradbrook had been under a tremendous amount of pressure due to personal problems.

She said he would now probably lose his job and maybe even his home because he would no longer be able to pay the mortgage.

She said: "He feels genuine regret. In his job he has to deal with the police all the time and he is ashamed and has been ashamed in front of his colleagues. This will have a devastating knock-on effect on him."

Sergeant Steve Ball, from Shildon police station, said the sentence showed that drink-driving would not be tolerated.