A Ropley man caught behind the wheel when more than twice the legal drink drive limit has been banned from driving for 18 months.

Nelson Costa-Silva, 30, of Park Lane, Ropley, was also fined £450 and told to pay a £180 surcharge and £160 court costs at Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court on January 18.

Magistrates heard that on August 28, 2022, Costa-Silva had driven a Fiat 500 on the B3047 at Martyr Worthy after consuming so much alcohol that the proportion of it in his breath was 79 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, far above the limit of 35 microgrammes.

Costa-Silva initially denied the offence, but changed his plea to guilty on the day of his sentencing. His driving ban will be reduced by 18 weeks on completion of a driver awareness course.