A DRIVER who hit another vehicle on the narrow part of the bridge at Coniston Cold, has admitted being over the drink-drive limit.

Peter Baker, 53, had been travelling along the A65 at 8.30am on June 27 this year to go and get some groceries.

As he was negotiating the narrow bridge when his Vauxhall Vivaro van caught the side of a vehicle travelling the other way.

The female driver in the other vehicle sustained minor injuries from broken glass, Skipton magistrates heard.

Baker, of Temperance Square, Hellifield, had stopped his vehicle further along the road where it was safe and called the police himself, magistrates were told.

They suspected he had been drinking and a breath test proved positive, He was found to have 74 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

Mitigating, Amjid Khan said Baker had been drinking late the night before which had left him still over the limit the next morning.

He said his client, who was not working at the time, had been an electrician for most of his working life but in recent times was not very well.

He lives with his wife, was bipolar, and had some issues with depression in the past.

He was remorseful of the mistake he made by driving after drinking late in the evening and had not had a drink since.

Magistrates disqualified Baker for 22 months and fined him£120. He must also pay a surcharge of £48 and costs of £85. He was offered the drink-drive rehabilitation course which if completed successfully will reduce his disqualification by 22 weeks.