A DRINK driver is banned from the roads today after getting lost in the Suffolk countryside.

A DRINK driver is banned from the roads today after getting lost in the Suffolk countryside.

Michael Turner was working in Felixstowe and living in Trimley St Mary's Carriage Close when he was caught driving when over the alcohol limit.

Turner, 56, who lives in King's Lynn, refused to give a breath sample on April 4 after being pulled over by police officers who had heard reports of a car driving erratically.

When he appeared at South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court Turner, a grandfather, pleaded guilty to failing to provide a specimen for analysis.

Colette Griffiths, prosecuting, said: “The vehicle, a Nissan Almera, was travelling extremely slowly. It mounted a grass verge. He immediately said 'I'm lost and very drunk, I'm sorry'.”

Turner gave a roadside breath test of 104mcg of alcohol in 100ml of alcohol. The legal limit is 35mcg. But at the police station he refused to cooperate with officers and give another reading.

His lawyer, Tariq Khawam, said Turner had mounted the verge only after being directed to pull over, and that he denied saying he was “very” drunk.

Mr Khawam added: “He was staying at the address because he was working in Felixstowe but he lives in King's Lynn. The erraticness of the driving was as a result of not really knowing where he was going.”

Magistrates banned Turned from driving for 24 months, fined him �535 and ordered him to pay a �15 victim surcharge and �60 towards prosecution costs.

Meanwhile a carer is banned from the roads today after driving a friend's car when over the limit.

Bruno Chanda, 37, of Thomas Crescent, Kesgrave, only held a provisional licence and had no valid insurance when he got behind the wheel of his friend's BMW after drinking.

Chanda, who came to England from Zambia four years ago to work night shifts as a carer for people with learning difficulties, admitted drink driving and driving without insurance or a licence when he appeared at South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court.

Colette Griffiths, prosecuting, said a breath test revealed he had 72mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, more than twice the legal limit of 35mcg.

Ian Duckworth, mitigating, said Chanda was looking after the car for a friend who had returned to Zambia and had decided to drive it closer to his Kesgrave home for safekeeping.

Mr Duckworth said Chanda believed he was insured to drive the car because of third party insurance.

Magistrates disqualified Chanda from driving for 20 months and ordered him to pay �495, including a fine, victim surcharge and prosecution costs.