A LORRY driver has been banned after overturning his car while nearly three times the drink-drive limit.

Father-of-three, John Symons, 35, had argued with his girlfriend over the phone before getting into his Ford Mondeo intent on driving from his home in Ferryhill to Newton Aycliffe.

Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' Court heard yesterday that Symons, of Broom Cottages, crashed into a roundabout on the A167 at Chilton, flipping the car onto its roof, at 2.30am on April 27.

Andrew Petterson, mitigating, said: "My client is extremely remorseful and regrets his actions that night. It will have a catastrophic effect on him.

"He’s an HGV class one lorry driver. He’s held this employment for 17 years.

"It may be that he’s able to continue working as a driver’s mate for a period of time. He accepts he’s going to be disqualified.

"He accepts it was absolutely folly on his part to drive."

Symons pleaded guilty to drink-driving and was banned from the roads for two years and fined £415.