A DRINK driver stopped by police in his Ford Transit in Skipton had been celebrating his 39th birthday, heard magistrates.

Damian Falgowski, was around two and a half times the drink drive limit and also had a previous conviction for driving over the alcohol limit in Northern Ireland, the Skipton Court heard on Friday.

Police stopped Falgowski at around 2am on September 19 in Craven Street.

Falgowski, described by police as smelling strongly of alcohol, with slurred speech and ‘staggering’ provided a positive road side breath test and was taken to the police station where he was found to have 92 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit is 35.

Falgowski, who admitted drink driving, lived in Northern Ireland but worked for an agricultural company all over the country, including Wales and Scotland, the court was told.

In mitigation, Keith Blackwell said Falgowski deeply regretted what had happened. He had been staying at a hotel, had gone out to celebrate his birthday and ‘common sense had gone out of the window’.

Falgowski, of Greenall Manor, Coleraine, was banned from driving for 36 months and fined £500,with costs of £85 and a surcharge of £50. If he completes a drink drivers rehabilitation course, his ban will be reduced by 36 weeks.