AN IPSWICH drink driver caught giving his mum a late-night lift home after answering her call for help, is today banned from the road.Appearing before magistrates in Ipswich, Luis da Silva, of Shakespeare Road, pleaded guilty to being nearly twice the drink-driving limit.

AN IPSWICH drink driver caught giving his mum a late-night lift home after answering her call for help, is today banned from the road.

Appearing before magistrates in Ipswich, Luis da Silva, of Shakespeare Road, pleaded guilty to being nearly twice the drink-driving limit.

The court heard the 40-year-old had 65 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 mcg.

Prosecutor David Taylor told the court da Silva's Ford Scorpion was stopped by police in Norwich Road, Ipswich, on December 8, after officers saw him driving without his lights on.

Speaking through a Portuguese interpreter, da Silva said he had returned home from a 7am to 5pm shift at work. As he did not have to go in the following day he had a few drinks, but then answered a telephone call from his mother who asked for help to get home from her job at a restaurant.

He said: "About 11pm I had no idea I was going to drive, but my mother, who works in a restaurant called me. It was late and difficult for her to get public transport so she asked me to pick her up."

Da Silva said he while he waited for 15 or 20 minutes at the restaurant, the barman offered him a beer which he accepted.

He said: "Then I left when she had finished work. I got into my car and completely forgot to put my lights on. All of a sudden police asked me stop."

Da Silva, who has been in England for three years and testified to having a clean driving licence, was disqualified from driving for 16 months, fined £200 and ordered to pay £45 costs.

Also appearing at court was another drink driver, Grzegorz Stadnik, who was seen trying to move his car to a parking space on Cardinal Park, Ipswich.

The 19-year-old Polish national admitting driving with excess alcohol early on November 13.

A blood test was taken at Ipswich police station. When the results came back they showed Stadnik, of Lark Rise, Martlesham, had 146 milligrammes in 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80 mgs.

Prosecutor Nigel Gilbert told magistrates Stadnik had been seen by police officers on the night of November 12 at Cardinal Park. They had described him as "obviously drunk".

At 1am on November 13 he was seen getting into his Volkswagen Golf and driving around the car park. Mr Gilbert said Stadnik's car did not have its lights on and almost collided with two other vehicles driving through Cardinal Park.

Stadnik drove across to the Punch and Judy pub where he stopped in the car park.

Mr Gilbert said it was obvious Stadnik was very drunk when police went over to him. He was given a roadside test which proved positive and taken to Ipswich police station.

In mitigation Stadnik said: "I would like to say sorry. I know it is too late. I just wanted to move my car."

He was banned from driving for 16 months, fined £200 and ordered to pay £55 costs.

N The Evening Star will cover all drink driving cases in magistrates court in Ipswich during December and into January as part of its Christmas anti-drink drive campaign.