A motorcyclist has lost his licence after blaming his penchant for pickled eggs for causing him to be nearly twice the drink-drive limit when crashing.

Ipswich magistrates heard Lee Vaschez, of Felixstowe Road, Ipswich, claimed to have eaten six or seven alcohol-soaked pickled eggs at a friend’s home before getting back on his Ducati.

The 40-year-old chef pleaded guilty when he appeared before South East Suffolk Magistrates’ Court to drink-driving on December 19.

Prosecutor Wayne Ablett said police were called to an accident in Felixstowe Road during the evening.

When an officer arrived they found a lorry in a layby with its lights on.

The court heard Vaschez said he had been riding along Felixstowe Road and was dazzled by the lights of an oncoming vehicle. He missed a right-hand turning and went across the kerb before falling off.

A breath test showed Vaschez had 68 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35mcgs.

Paul Booty, representing Vaschez, said his client had been carrying out Christmas errands and during the course of that he had gone to see a friend.

The friend had made pickled eggs which Mr Booty said were a favourite of Vaschez’s and he had consumed six or seven of them.

Mr Booty told the court: “Unfortunately as well as pickling fluid there was alcohol in there as well.”

Vaschez also admitted to having a “couple of shandies” earlier in the day.

Magistrates disqualified Vaschez from driving for 18 months. He was also fined £340 and ordered to pay £85 costs as well as £34 to the victims’ fund.

In a separate case Hanna Tidey, of Lime Grove, Sudbury, was also banned after pleading guilty to drink-driving.

The 20-year-old was nearly three times the limit when she was caught in Lambert Close, Hadleigh, at around 3am on November 26.

The court was told a resident heard a noise and went outside where he found Tidey with her Peugeot 206.

A subsequent breath test showed she had 92mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath.

Mr Booty, mitigating, said the offence occurred primarily because Tidey had broken up with her boyfriend with whom she had been going out for some time.

Tidey was depressed and had gone to see a friend at whose home she had intended to stay.

While there Tidey consumed at least a bottle of white wine, the court was told.

She got into an argument and decided to drive home.

Magistrates heard she was likely to lose her job as a result of her conviction.

Tidey was banned from driving for 24 months and given a four-month community order with a three-month curfew on Fridays and Saturdays between 9pm and 8am. She must also pay £170 in costs and a victim surcharge.