An 18-year-old apprentice was over the drink-drive limit after celebrating Builders’ Friday in Skipton, magistrates were told.

Christopher Jowett had not intended to drive after being out in Skipton on the last Friday before Christmas but had been asked to drive his former girlfriend home, the Skipton court heard.

Police, alerted to a driver hitting the kerb in Carleton Street at 2.50am on December 21, found Jowett getting out of his car.

A breath test proved positive. He was taken to Harrogate police station where he was found to have 63 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Jowett, of Elmsley Street, Steeton, who admitted drink driving, was an apprentice builder who had driven into Skipton to celebrate Builders’ Friday with friends, the court heard.

In mitigation, John Mewies said during the evening Jowett had met his former girlfriend who asked him to drive her home to Steeton. They had only driven a short distance when his car hit a kerb, bursting the tyre.

Magistrates banned Jowett from driving for 17 months and fined him £140 with costs of £85. If he completes a drink-driver rehabilitation course, his ban will be reduced by 17 weeks.