A COLCHESTER United footballer has spoken of his shame after he was banned from the roads for drink driving.

A COLCHESTER United footballer has spoken of his shame after he was banned from the roads for drink driving.

Jamie Guy downed four bottles of beer at a neighbours' barbecue before getting behind the wheel in what he has said was an “act of stupidity”.

But it emerged that the striker with the League One club has also been charged with a separate public order offence in Colchester alleged to have happened just days after the drink-drive incident.

Colchester Magistrates' Court heard yesterday that Guy got into his black Renault Clio about an hour after drinking the beers.

The 20-year-old was stopped by police as he drove along St John's Road in the town without his lights on at about 8.30pm on May 3.

Tamzin Sharp, prosecuting, said Guy was not wearing a seatbelt and admitted he had been driving on a provisional licence and did not have learner plates.

Guy was breathalysed at the scene at then a further two times at Colchester police station - giving a reading of 49microgrammes in 100 millilitres of breath.

The legal drink drive limit is 35microgrammes.

The Dagenham-born player chose to represent himself and pleaded guilty to a charge of drink driving and will be sentenced next month.

He has been handed an interim driving ban until the case is completed.

He told magistrates: “I was not drunk and it did not occur to me that I had even had a drink. It was just stupid of me.”

The striker will be sentenced at Colchester Magistrates' Court next month on the same day that he will be appearing relating to an altercation in the Britannia car park in St Botolph's Street car park at 2.40am on May 9.

An Essex Police spokeswoman said: “A 20-year-old man will be appearing in court on July 3 charged with a public order offence which relates to an incident in Colchester on May 9.”

Guy did not enter pleas yesterday to two further charges relating to insurance and his licence because further enquiries are needed.