AN INGLETON man caught driving during the day almost three times over the limit has been handed a community sentence by Skipton magistrates.

James Middleton, 49, was told he faced a possible prison sentence, but was instead given a 12 month community order with 15 rehabilitation days to address his drinking and emotional state.

He was also banned from driving for two years and fined £540 - as an alternative to unpaid work - with costs of £85 and surcharge of £30.

The court heard that a police officer had stopped Middleton, who was driving a Skoda Octavia with his adult son in the passenger seat, in Low Demesne at about 2.40pm on June 3.

A roadside breath test was positive, and he was taken to the police station where he was found to have 98 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit is 35.

Middleton, who admitted drink driving, was a man of previous good character who had already resigned from his job as a joiner, in the knowledge he would lose his licence, the court was told.

In mitigation, John Kelly said Middleton had struggled to deal with the death of his father, suffered from depression and had only driven a short distance.

The court was also told that he was a heavy drinker, drinking around three bottles of wine and a bottle of spirits every week.

On the day itself, he had started drinking at about 10am and had drunk half a bottle of whisky before driving. He also admitted to have probably been over the limit on other occasions.

Magistrates told Middleton, of Whernside Court, that to have driven with such a high amount of alcohol in his system had been 'lunacy' and that he could have caused an accident.

If he completes a drink drivers rehabilitation course, his ban will be reduced by 24 weeks.