A factory worker caught driving at nearly twice the alcohol limit has been banned from the road for more than three years.

Police received information about the manner of driving of an Audi car in Ipswich around 12.15am on August 14 this year.

Officers pulled the car over on Star Lane and asked the driver, Marius Jacheanu, to produce his licence, which he could not, Lesla Small, prosecuting, told Suffolk Magistrates' Court.

Jacheanu, who is married with two children, failed the roadside breath test and was arrested, Ms Small said.

He was taken to the police station and blew 66 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg in 100ml of breath.

Magistrates heard how Jacheanu has one previous conviction for drink driving from September 2018, which means he must be handed a minimum driving ban of three years.

Appearing before magistrates in Ipswich on Wednesday, Jacheanu, of Grimwade Street, Ipswich, pleaded guilty to drink driving.

Claire Lockwood, mitigating, said her client, who works at a duck factory, did not realise he was over the limit and "did not feel drunk".

She said: "He had consumed two or three beers at a friend's house and stopped drinking around 9pm.

"He was compliant with police, both at the roadside and at the police station.

"He says this will have an enormous impact upon him. He understands now the relevance of that previous conviction.

"He believes that he will lose his job and is not aware of any colleagues who could give him a lift to work."

She added Jacheanu was "remorseful" for the offence and was not in a position financially to pay for the drink-drive rehabilitation course when it was offered to him following the 2018 conviction.

Magistrates banned Jacheanu from driving for three years and four months and fined him £250.

He was also ordered to pay £145 in court costs and a victim surcharge of £34.

Magistrates did offer Jacheanu the opportunity to take a drink driving rehabilitation course, which will reduce his ban by 40 weeks if completed within the required time frame.