A drink-driver who left the scene of a smash was arrested after leaving behind cars keys with his photo on them.

Sam Ansell was more than three times over the legal limit when his vehicle hit a wall outside houses in Golcar, Kirklees Magistrates’ Court heard.

And he continued drinking after a resident confiscated his car keys.

The 23-year-old yesterday pleaded guilty to drink driving and was banned from the road. It was revealed that his actions had jeopardised a promising career in social services,

Kirklees magistrates heard that the incident happened at 7.30pm on October 20.

Residents living on Clough Road heard Ansell’s VW Golf hitting the retaining wall of one of the houses.

Prosecutor Alex Bozman, said there was substantial damage to the driver’s side of the vehicle as it ended up against the wall.

The property’s owner, Adrian Hanlon, challenged Ansell as he was trying to get his mobile phone out.

Mr Bozman said: “Mr Hanlon formed the impression that he had been drinking.

“He asked him for his car keys and he handed them over.”

The prosecutor said that instead of waiting for police to arrive Ansell, of Halifax Road in Scapegoat Hill, left the scene.

He said: “When police attended, the car keys had got a photo of Mr Ansell on them.

“They attended his home address. He wasn’t in but they saw him walking down the road.”

Ansell was arrested and police station breath tests revealed that he had 110 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

This was more than three times the legal limit of 35 microgrammes.

In interview he said that prior to the smash he had visited the Walkers Arms in Golcar and drunk five or six pints.

Ansell admitted to drinking a couple of cans of lager after the crash because he was shaken up.

Mike Sisson-Pell, mitigating, described the route that his client had taken as very narrow and twisty with hairpin bends.

He said: “He drove up the hill towards Scapegoat Hill and something ran out from the side – it could have well have been a fox.

“He swerved to avoid it and ran his car up the side of the wall.”

Mr Sisson-Pell described Ansell as “extremely distressed” by what had happened and said he had been trying to find his phone to call his mother when the resident approached him.

He said that after leaving his car he walked to a friend’s house to use their phone and was returning to his vehicle when police arrived.

Magistrates heard that Ansell has since lost his job working with at-risk persons for different authorities.

Mr Sisson-Pell said: “The ramifications are nothing short of catastrophic.

“He worked for social services and because of this conviction that employment has ceased.

“He was looking forward to a very promising career and that’s come to a full stop now.

“This young man is genuinely very sorry for his stupidity on this occasion.”

Magistrates banned Ansell from driving for 28 months.

He was ordered to complete 60 hours of unpaid work as part of a 12-month community order.

Ansell must also pay £85 costs and £60 victim surcharge.