A DRIVER stopped by police because one of the headlights on his car was not working was over the drink drive limit, heard Skipton Magistrates Court.

Police on the A59 near Broughton first saw the Mitsubishi LS200 being driven by Matthew Whitehead at about 9.30pm on April 22 and stopped it a short way away on the A56 at Thornton-in-Craven.

Whitehead, 31, provided a positive roadside breath test, was arrested and taken to the police station where he was found to have 41 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Whitehead, who admitted drink driving, told the court on Friday last week he had been very 'silly' and had not thought he would have been over the limit.

He told the court he was an engineer and would now have to cycle to work after losing his licence.

"It was totally out of character for me. I had a drink and did not think of the consequences," he said.

Whitehead, of Lindsay Street, Burnley, was fined £307 and banned from driving for 12 months.

He was also ordered to pay costs of £85 and a surcharge of £34. If he completes a drink driver rehabilitation course, his ban will be reduced by 12 weeks.