A CLAPHAM IT director has been banned from driving for a year and ordered to pay £2,473 after admitting dangerous driving.

Keith Blondel, 45, was followed by a member of the public after he pulled out from a pub in his Citroen Berlingo in the early evening of January 25, causing the other driver to brake, heard Skipton magistrates.

The witness followed Blondel while giving police a 'running commentary' of his driving between the Fenwick Arms Pub, Hornby, Lancashire, and the Punch Bowl Hotel, Low Bentham.

Blondel went from side to side of the road, straddled the middle white line, hit the nearside kerb, and on one occasion took a blind bend while on the wrong side, said Martin Butterworth, prosecuting.

He finally pulled over into the car park of the Punch Bowl after the witness flashed his headlights at him. The member of the public was so concerned he left his own car and attempted to take Blondel's keys off him, but failed, said Mr Butterworth.

Blondel's driving, while not causing an accident, had fallen far below the standards expected of a competent driver, said Mr Butterworth. The incident had lasted about 35 minutes, although for much of it, Blondel had been stationary. He later told police that he had drunk a couple of glasses of wine in the first pub, that he was diabetic and on high blood pressure tablets and had felt dizzy and unwell.

Blondel, who admitted dangerous driving, was a man of previous good character, the court heard.

In mitigation, John Mewies said his client was not a well man, he suffered from diabetes and was facing kidney failure and believed his driving had been affected by illness, anxiety and fatigue.

He worked for a finance company in Leeds which had been required to report him to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). He had subsequently been suspended from his job on full pay.

Mr Mewies said the driving had taken place on very isolated roads, for the most part B roads and had involved only one other driver. His work was very stressful and involved a great deal of travel, including to Europe.

He has three dependent children and his wife ran her own business, said Mr Mewies.

Blondel, of Newby Cote, Clapham, was banned from driving for 12 months and fined £2,268 with costs of £85 and surcharge of £120. He will have to take an extended diving test at the end of his ban if he wants his licence back.