AN ELDERLY pensioner who had one glass too many at his bridge club was caught drink driving after police spotted him driving slowly.

Brian Dawson, aged 85, was breathalysed when he pulled onto the driveway of his Kinross Drive, Ladybridge, home at 11.20pm on November 2 in his Honda Civic.

Frail Dawson, who uses a walking stick, had to be helped into the courtroom at Bolton Magistrates' Court. He has never had any other convictions and, after pleading guilty to drink driving, was fined and banned from the roads.

Tess Kenyon, prosecuting, told magistrates how Mr Dawson was seen driving his Honda Civic in Kinross Drive by a special constable.

“The vehicle was veering in the road and driving very slowly,” she said, adding that the officer approached the pensioner as he parked on his driveway. He spoke with Mr Dawson and could smell alcohol on his breath.”

Dawson failed a breath test, with 40 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of his breath when the legal limit is 35 microgrammes, and was arrested.

Peter Leather, defending, told magistrates: “It is most unfortunate, at 85 years of age, that Mr Dawson has now lost his good character.

“It is clearly not something that he planned or thought of. What happened is that he’d been to the local bridge club, he had two glasses of wine. He thought that that would have no impact on his ability to drive, didn’t think there would be an issue.

“He was then seen driving very slowly along the road where he lives. That attracted the attention of the police and resulted in the court appearance here today.

“With the benefit of hindsight, if he had restricted himself to one glass of wine, I am sure he would have then been under the limit and wouldn’t have been at court today and lost his licence.”

Dawson was banned from driving for 12 months, and fined £120 plus £117 in costs and charges.

Chairman of the bench, Mrs Lindsay Charidemou told Dawson, who was allowed to remain seated throughout the proceedings: “It does sadden the bench that a man of your good character should be banned from driving for 12 months but that’s what we have to do.”