Five motorists have been banned from the road by Ipswich magistrates after a Christmas crackdown on drink-drivers by police.

Former teacher Dominic Pattinson, of Woodbridge Road East, Ipswich, admitted to driving while nearly twice the legal alcohol limit when he went to pick his daughter up from the train station on Christmas Eve.

Pattinson was driving a Mercedes in Back Hamlet when police stopped him.

A breath test showed he had 65 microgrammes of alcohol in 100mls of breath. The legal limit is 35mcgs.

Howard Catherall, representing Pattinson, said his client had initially had no intention to drive that day.

Pattinson, who is now a fine artist, had been drinking at his house with a friend.

He had not been expecting to be required to pick up his adult daughter who had come back to Ipswich from Coventry.

The court heard Pattinson thought she would be getting a taxi to his home. However, he got a telephone call from her and thinking he was fine to drive went to collect his daughter.

Mr Catherall said Pattinson forgot to put his car’s lights on and that is what drew police attention to his vehicle.

Magistrates disqualified Pattinson from driving for 17 months. He was ordered to pay a total of £569 in fines and costs.

n Shane Murrell, a medical records clerk for the NHS, also lost his licence after admitting to being more than twice the drink-drive limit on Christmas Eve.

The 53-year-old, of Windrush Road, Kesgrave, was caught driving a black Citroen DS3 in Windrush Road at 9.15pm. He had 82mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath.

The court heard Murrell had been to The Bell pub in Main Road, Kesgrave, and consumed four pints.

He was disqualified from driving for 20 months, fined £450, and ordered to pay costs of £85 as well as £45 to the victims’ fund.

n Stuart Coleman, of Maidstone Road, Felixstowe, lost his licence for 12 months after he reversed a Ford Transit into a telegraph pole in the road where he lives at 2.20am on December 5.

At the time the 36-year-old computer consultant had 44mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath.

Coleman was also ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £635.

n Murray Staines, of Grove Road, Woodbridge, was banned for 18 months after admitting he was twice the legal alcohol limit on December 22.

The 52-year-old had been driving his Citroen Xsara Picasso in Pytches Road, Woodbridge.

He had 70mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath.

In addition to his ban Staines must pay a total of £215 in fines and costs.

n Matthew Smith, of Century Drive, Kesgrave, lost his licence for 14 months after pleading guilty to drink-driving on Christmas Day.

The 22-year-old had 53mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath.

Smith, a shop manager, was caught driving in Woodbridge Road, Ipswich, at 1am.