FORMER England footballer Peter Thompson was jailed for drink-driving yesterday after undercover police followed his car's erratic progress across a town.

Left-winger Thompson, 58, who now runs a hotel in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, won 16 caps for England.

During a Liverpool career which spanned more than 400 games, he was a member of the league championship-winning sides of 1963-64 and an FA Cup winner in 1964.

Harrogate magistrates were told by Peter Scott, prosecuting, how police in an unmarked car followed Thompson from Whinney Lane, on the southern fringe of Harrogate, to the Delaine Hotel in Ripon Road, which he owns with his wife Debbie.

During the Sunday evening journey, in April, Thompson, who also played for Preston North End and Bolton Wanderers during a career of nearly 20 years, was seen to be driving erratically and to have a woman sitting at the side of him with a child of less than five years of age on her knee. Another two children of similar age were in the back.

Mr Scott said a breath test showed Thompson's alcohol level to be 156 microgrammes, almost four-and-a-half times the legal limit of 35mgs.

Thompson pleaded guilty to drink-driving and was told by presiding magistrate Vivien Crabb that, because of the exceptionally high level and the danger he had posed to others, prison was the only option.

She jailed him for a month and banned him from the roads for three years.

In mitigation, Tim Mellors said Thompson had drunk only three glasses of wine before driving on April 29 but the previous day he had had a reunion with friends at his hotel.

He had not felt affected by drink, otherwise he would have asked his wife to drive. The level of the breathalyser reading had come as a great surprise to him. He was not a man with a drink problem.

Mr Mellors said Thompson had run a pub in the Lake District for 17 years before moving to Harrogate, and his only previous conviction was for speeding ten years ago.

"His wounded pride and remorse are genuine. He wants to put this behind him and restore his reputation," said Mr Mellors.