A YOUNG Melton man faces an anxious wait today after jeopardising his chances of an army career by drink driving.Clive Day was due to join the Army in three months, but will now have to wait until September.

A YOUNG Melton man faces an anxious wait today after jeopardising his chances of an army career by drink driving.

Clive Day was due to join the Army in three months, but will now have to wait until September.

After his court case Day said: "It was my own fault. I should not have done it.

"I was due to start in the Army in three months. Now I will have to wait. I will have to go and speak to someone from the Army to see if I can still join."

Day, 23, of Fernhill Close, was just over the legal limit when he was caught driving his friend's red Montego car along Norwich Road in Ipswich.

Police were alerted when Day drove through a red traffic light on the Norwich Road and Bramford Road junction.

Police said Day's breath smelt "strongly" of alcohol and a road-side breath test was positive.

Tests carried out at Ipswich Police Station revealed he had 94 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80 milligrammes.

South East Suffolk Magistrates disqualified Day, who admitted drink driving, from driving for 12 months, but said the sentence would be reduced to a nine-month ban if he successfully completed a drink drive rehabilitation course run by the Probation Service.

Day, who told magistrates he lost his job on Christmas Eve and was seeking employment, was also fined £100 and ordered to pay £45 towards court costs.

He said he was surprised magistrates did not punish him harder.

"I'm not pleased with the punishment but they could have been much harsher," added Day.

The court heard that Day had a previous record from fraudulent use of a tax disc last year.