A DRINK-DRIVER called police himself after crashing a car in the Lakes while over the blood-alcohol limit.

Police were called to the A592 at Kirkstone Pass in the early hours of October 4 after a one-vehicle collision.

The driver, Oliver Edward Fitton-Thomas, confessed to officers that he had been drinking before getting behind the wheel of the Vauxhall Corsa.

At South Cumbria Magistrates' Court on Wednesday prosecutor Pamela Fee said: "At 1.30am the defendant was driving his friend's vehicle on the A592 at Kirkstone Pass.

"He lost control of the vehicle, it was involved in a collision and the police attended.

"Police spoke to the defendant, he said he had been driving and took the corner too fast.

"He told the officers he had been drinking alcohol.

"He provided a positive roadside breath test and was arrested and taken to Barrow Police Station."

Fitton-Thomas had 61 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

Defence solicitor Maureen Fawcett said the 23-year-old had contacted police himself after the crash.

"He has been driving for three and-a-half years; he was the one who contacted police and he was very remorseful," she said.

"He knew he shouldn't have been driving.

"He was fully comprehensive on his own vehicle but didn't know the car he was driving was not insured.

"He held his hands up.

"He works as a chef. He knows he will be disqualified today."

Fitton-Thomas pleaded guilty to drink-driving and driving without insurance.

He was fined a total of £675 and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £40 victim surcharge.

District Judge Gerald Chalk banned him from driving for 17 months and added: "The really bad news for you is that I must disqualify you."