CONCERNED members of the public forced a motorist to stop his car after seeing him driving erratically, heard magistrates.

George Otieno, 46, of Park Road, Cross Hills, near Keighley, was first reported by a member of the public driving his Nissan Qashqai on the wrong side of Gargrave Road, Skipton, at 7.45pm on November 16, heard Skipton Magistrates Court yesterday.

As he approached the roundabout with the A629 he swerved, narrowly missing another car, and mounted the kerb, before being forced to stop by other motorists who ‘boxed him in’ before calling the police, the court heard.

Otieno, of previous good character, provided a positive roadside breath test which was ‘significantly over the limit’ at 101 microgrammes of alcohol per litre of breath, the legal limit is 35, and was arrested and taken to Harrogate Police Station. At the police station, he was so drunk, he had to be helped and was unable to provide a urine sample for the evidential test, the court was told.

Otieno, who admitted driving while being unfit through alcohol, had met by chance a friend in Skipton and it had ended up in disaster, the court was told.

In mitigation, Keith Blackwell said his client had intended to do some shopping in the town and had ended up drinking with a friend. After drinking two large glasses of wine, he had become ‘disinhibited’ by drink and had made the unwise decision to drive home to Cross Hills.

Otieno was banned from driving for 26 months and was ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work. He will also have to pay costs of £85 and a surcharge of £90. It he completes a drink drivers rehabilitation course, his ban will be reduced by 26 weeks.