A MEMBER of staff from a popular race track has lost his job after drinking five pints in Darlington before driving home to Sedgefield last weekend.

Frank Alan Barker, 25, of Howe Hills Plantation, Elstob Lane, near Sedgefield, admitted a charge of drink driving when he appeared before magistrates in Newton Aycliffe this week.

The court heard that Barker, who worked at Croft Circuit, near Darlington, had been out drinking in the Feethams area of town on Friday night.

Lorna Rimell, prosecuting, told magistrates: "At about 2.30am on Saturday, June 2, police were made aware of a male who appeared to be intoxicated driving out of Feethams car park and into Darlington town centre.

"The police observed him to be intoxicated and pulled him over."

Barker was found to be about one and a half times over the limit.

Peter Hamill, mitigating, said: "Mr Barker had been out earlier and had drunk about five pints but stopped drinking about 9pm or 10pm in the evening.

"He mistakenly believed it would have got out of his system.

"He now knows that isn't the case.

"He pulled out of the multi-storey car park to the town centre and was pulled over.

"He has lost his employment. He was working at Croft Circuit building timber fences but he needed his licence for his job and has as a consequence lost his employment. But within a short space of time he has lost one job and has already gone on to secure other, further employment now."

He said Barker had previous offences for battery and harassment on his ex-partner, for which he was given a suspended prison sentence last year. Barker was banned from driving for 12 months, fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 costs.