A MAN drove a car while he was more than twice the legal drink-drive limit.

David Cross, of Westerley Lane in Shelley, appeared before Kirklees magistrates yesterday. He admitted driving while over the prescribed limit on January 17.

Alex Bozman, prosecuting, said that the incident happened just before 4am.

He told magistrates that police spotted a Rover 200 being driven erratically on Penistone Road.

The officers were in an unmarked vehicle and asked police in a marked car to attend.

By this point the car had come to a stop on Far Bank in Shelley.

Police could smell alcohol on Cross’s breath.

They arrested the 25-year-old on suspicion of drink-driving after he refused to give a breath test at the roadside.

At the police station Cross was more co-operative and give breath samples.

These showed that he had 89 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

The legal limit is 35mg.

Magistrates heard that Cross had no previous convictions.

Paul Blanchard, mitigating, said that his client had gone out in Huddersfield but had no intention of driving.

He said: “He left the vehicle at a friend’s address but then found himself without the finance to get himself home.

“Then he took the foolish decision to drive his own vehicle.

“The most serious penalty for Mr Cross is the loss of his good character.”

Magistrates banned Cross from driving for 22 months. They also told him to pay £110 fine, £85 costs and £20 victim surcharge.