A DRUNK had a narrow escape from being legless - literally - after he collapsed on the road.Richard Mark Atkinson, 26, was granted a year's conditional discharge after he admitted being drunk in the highway on Playford Road, Ipswich on August 23.

By Amanda Cresswell

A DRUNK had a narrow escape from being legless - literally - after he collapsed on the road.

Richard Mark Atkinson, 26, was granted a year's conditional discharge after he admitted being drunk in the highway on Playford Road, Ipswich on August 23.

He tried to argue against paying £55 prosecution costs at South East Suffolk Magistrates Court.

After his sentence Atkinson, of Burwash Houses, Witnesham, said: "I feel I haven't committed a crime it was just unfortunate."

But bench chairman Jane Fiske said he could write to his MP, adding: "You were jolly lucky you didn't get run over."

Officers were alerted by reports of a man lying on the road at 12.45 am on August 23.

"When they arrived they found him lying on the road with his top half on the edge of the road and his feet and legs on the carriageway," prosecutor Lesla Small told magistrates.

"A car could have gone past and gone over his legs. When officers woke him up his speech was slurred. He got to his feet eventually," said Ms Small.

"He stood in front of the officers swaying from side to side. He staggered away ten metres into the road and crossed the road, stumbled and fell over. He had probably gone to sleep."

Representing himself, Atkinson said: "On the night I did have too much to drink. It wasn't my normal behaviour. I appreciate the fact the police did look after me."

He said that night he lost his mobile, he spent £60 and spent the remainder of the night in the cells. He added: "I have been at the court since 10am and had to take a day off work.

"I have made myself look a fool. I feel have been punished. It is not something I would want to do again."