A DRIVER was stopped by police because his vision was blocked by snow – and admitted he had been drinking.
Richard Cliffe, 49, was before Kirklees magistrates yesterday.
He admitted a charge of driving whilst over the limit in March.
Carmen Sobande, prosecuting, said that on the day it was snowing heavily.
She told Cliffe’s car was blanketed in snow when police spotted him heading towards Gomersal.
Ms Sobande said: “It caught the eye of police because it was completely covered in snow.
“This included the wing mirrors and the driver would have had poor visibility.”
Cliffe’s only visibility was through the front windscreen as all of the other windows were covered, the prosecutor said.
The officers went to speak to Cliffe when he pulled up at his home on Oxford Road in Cleckheaton.
They advised him to remove the snow before continuing his journey.
It was while police were speaking to Cliffe that they noticed he smelt strongly of alcohol.
He admitted that he had drunk up to three pints after work.
Police station breath tests revealed that he had 78 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.
Cliffe, who was not represented, said: “It was a foolish mistake but it cost me my job and livelihood.”
Magistrates banned him from driving for 17 months.
They also ordered him to pay £200 fine, £85 costs and £20 victim surcharge.
