A "naive" young driver has been disqualified for 16 months after he was caught drink driving after a night out with friends.

A police officer spotted 19-year-old Conor Cullen-Jones travelling "at speed" in his Ford Fiesta on a country road between Newtown and Llanmerewig.

The apprentice carpenter, from near Llanmerewig, was sentenced after pleading guilty to drink driving when he appeared at Welshpool Magistrates' Court on April 25.

The court heard that the "very pleasant and respectful" young man made a rash decision to drive after drinking a couple of pints of Guinness on a night out with friends.

Helen Tench, prosecuting, said that at around 2.30am on April 8 this year a police officer stopped Cullen-Jones' car after he saw the vehicle driving "at speed" and later noticed the 19-year-old's speech was "slurred".

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The result of a breath test found that Cullen-Jones was driving with 59 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath when the legal limit is 35mg.

Robert Hanratty, mitigating for Cullen-Jones, said: "Obviously he is only a young man who made a rash decision and was naïve to the effects of alcohol. He was traveling a short distance.

"This is his first and only time to appear at the magistrates’ court. He’s a very pleasant and respectful young man and works as an apprentice carpenter."

Magistrates decided to impose a 16-month driving ban however they offered him a drink drive rehabilitation course to reduce the ban by 16 weeks.

"Take that course and make good use of it," said chair Judith Baker.

Cullen-Jones, of Abernant, Llanmerewig, was also ordered to pay a £250 fine, £100 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.