A DRINK driver who drove illegally on a Portuguese licence is today banned from getting behind the wheel for the next 12 months.Rui Campos, 45, was snared by police who were called to a minor traffic collision in Ipswich's Upper Orwell Street on December 7.

A DRINK driver who drove illegally on a Portuguese licence is today banned from getting behind the wheel for the next 12 months.

Rui Campos, 45, was snared by police who were called to a minor traffic collision in Ipswich's Upper Orwell Street on December 7.

Campos, a father-of-three from Bramford Road, Ipswich, had not caused the accident, but officers breath tested him as his Ford Mondeo was involved and found he had 45 micrograms of alcohol in 100millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35mg.

During a hearing at South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court, Campos admitted driving with excess alcohol in his system and driving otherwise than in accordance with his licence.

The latter charge related to the fact that he had been driving on a Portuguese licence despite arriving in England more than two years ago - double the length of time the law requires drivers to replace their overseas licences with English ones.

District Judge David Cooper sympathised with the electronics firm worker, who he said was hard working and had done well since arriving in England.

Mr Cooper said: “I don't want to disqualify you from driving but I have to, it's the law. If I had my choice I probably wouldn't.

“To me you're a hard working man, you're in this country and you're doing very well.

“The minimum is 12 months so I've made it 12 months.”

Judge Cooper also fined Campos £200 for the offences and ordered him to pay £35 costs. His licence was endorsed.

N Do you agree with the judge's comments? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.