A DETECTIVE who was four times over the legal limit was jailed yesterday - in the very week his force launched their Christmas drink-drive purge.

Teesside magistrates heard how it was Detective Constable Steve Pennington's second drink-drive offence in ten years.

Jailing him for four months, chair of the bench Joy Carroll told Pennington: "Because of your profession you are perfectly well aware of the consequences of drink-driving."

Pennington, 38, of Ingleby Barwick, Thornaby, Teesside, had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to drink-driving.

Magistrates had heard how his VW Golf was seen by colleagues in a marked police van, leaving the Beckfields pub, Ingleby Barwick, at 1.45am following a party on October 22.

Driving at 50mph in a residential zone, he veered from side to side, clipping the kerbs before coming to a halt. He lived less than half a mile from the pub.

The divorced father-of-one could hardly stand, yet tried to persuade a colleague who arrested him to drop the charge and give him a lift home.

The hearing had been told Penington said to PC Nadeem Saddique: "You are joking Naz. Can't you take me home? Howay Naz just forget about it."

Despite admitting the offence he was not suspended by Cleveland Police, though he tendered his resignation earlier this week.

The court heard that in January 1998 Pennington was convicted of drink-driving, disqualified for two years, fined £200 and ordered to pay £60 costs.

He kept his job as a detective.

Pennington's solicitor, John Dobson, said that for 20 years Pennington had been a dedicated officer and had taken the "honourable" course of resigning to save the force from further embarrassment.

Mr Dobson lodged an immediate appeal against the jail term, but an application for Pennington to be released on bail pending the appeal was turned down.

Last night, campaigners criticised Cleveland Police for refusing to sack Pennington.

Maria Cape, of the national Campaign against Drinking and Driving, whose teenage daughter was killed by a drink driver said: "He should have been sacked immediately.

"What are the public expected to think when every Christmas the police warn of the seriousness of drink-driving and then allow offenders to remain on the force?"

A press officer for Cleveland Police declined to comment.