A DRIVER parked in the car park of a doctors surgery in Cross Hills in the early hours had been drinking, heard Skipton magistrates.

Moin Khan, 25, was in the driver's seat of the Chrysler parked in the Holme Lane car park on January 16 with his girlfriend in the passenger seat. The lights of the car were on, and the engine was running, the court heard.

He told police he had driven to the car park and that he had been drinking, but that it was his intention to get a taxi home to Shipley, the court heard.

Khan provided a positive roadside breath test and was taken to the police station, where he was found to have 45 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit is 35. It was also discovered that he was not insured to drive the vehicle, with Khan telling police he believed as a fully covered driver of his own car, he had third party cover on the vehicle he was driving at the time.

Khan, of Grove Road, Shipley, admitted being in charge of a car while over the alcohol limit, and of using a car without third party insurance.

The court heard as a new driver, Khan would have his licence revoked and would have to re-take his test before being able to drive again.

In mitigation, Ansar Khan said his client had not taken the situation lightly and both he and his family had been very upset by it.

He said he was sure that having his own vehicle fully covered would given him third party cover on his father's vehicle, which he was only driving because his own was in the garage.

Mr Khan said the engine had been on because it had been a cold night, and the lights were faulty.

Khan, of Grove Road, Shipley, was fined £80 and his licence endorsed with ten penalty points. He was also ordered to pay £85 costs and £30 surcharge.