A driver who was caught behind the wheel while more than twice over the drink drive limit has been banned from driving.

Geraint Williams, 54, was stopped by a police officer in the Churchstoke area after reports he was driving while intoxicated.

He admitted to driving without a valid licence, insurance and drink driving above the legal limit at Welshpool Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, May 18.

Scott McCrimmon, prosecuting, said that at around 10.30am on Sunday, April 4, PC Hewitt found Williams “unsteady on his feet and acting in a strange manner, slurring his words” and needed to hold on to his works vehicle, a white Mitsubishi pick up, to steady himself.

Williams gave two samples at the police station which revealed that he had 81 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit is 35.

Bethan Williams, defending, described Williams as an “upstanding member of the community” who was “quite horrified” to appear in front of the court.

She added that he had passed his driving test when he was younger but was unaware that his licence had been revoked.

His employers, a civil engineering company based in north Anglesey, spoke “very highly of his contribution to the company which has been extremely busy during the pandemic and has been stretched to the limit,” Ms Williams said.

Chair of magistrates bench Nerys Jones disqualified Williams, of Llanerchymedd, Anglesey, from driving for 20 months, and fined £450, with a £90 charge and £85 costs.