A FARMER who was caught drink driving through East Bergholt on Christmas Day has been banned from getting behind the wheel again for 14 months.Michael Harris, of Gaston Road, East Bergholt, had been drinking wine on December 25 when he drove his Peugeot along the A12.

A FARMER who was caught drink driving through East Bergholt on Christmas Day has been banned from getting behind the wheel again for 14 months.

Michael Harris, of Gaston Road, East Bergholt, had been drinking wine on December 25 when he drove his Peugeot along the A12.

Police officers stopped him at 6.40pm at the Four Sisters interchange after he was twice seen drifting toward the edge of the road.

During a hearing at South East Suffolk Magistrates Court last Friday Harris, 47, admitted to driving with excess alcohol in his system.

Prosecuting, John Hardwick told the court a roadside breath test was positive and when Harris was taken to a police station the lowest reading he gave was 62 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood.

The legal limit is 35 micrograms.

In mitigation, Neil Saunders said the offence was his client's first.

"He had a couple of glasses of wine or so earlier in the day and unfortunately had another glass about an hour before he was stopped," he said.

Mr Saunders said his farm was split into parcels of land which meant that if he was banned from driving he would have to employ extra staff to work them.

"So life is going to be difficult," he said.

In sentencing Harris, magistrate Sue Humphrey said she had taken into account his prompt guilty plea and his co-operation throughout.

She disqualified him from driving for 14 months but gave him the option of reducing that ban by three months if he successfully completed a driver rehabilitation course.

She also fined him £200 and ordered him to pay £34 costs.