THE DRIVER of a Transit van was more than twice over the drink drive limit when police stopped him for driving without headlights, heard Skipton magistrates.

Ewan John Scarr, 32, had been to a christening in Skipton and was running a friend home when he was stopped in Bradford Road, Keighley by police in the early hours of May 9.

He provided a positive road side breath test and was taken to the police station where he was found to have 72 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit is 35.

Scarr, of Rose in the Dale, Lothersdale, who admitted drink driving, had up until that point an unblemished driving record and was a highly regarded self employed builder, the court was told.

In mitigation, John Mewies said Scarr was a hard working man who was about to be married. He said he had not intended to drive after the christening and had planned to leave his car in Skipton, but that his friend had persuaded him to drive to Keighley.

He said he was stopped just because of the headlights not being on, and that the consequences would be dire.

He was banned from driving for 18 months and fined £650. He will also have to pay costs of £85 and surcharge of £65. If he completes a drink drivers rehabilitation course by May 23 next year, his ban will be reduced by 18 weeks.