POLICE responding to a report of a wedding reception disturbance at a Chipping restaurant had to squeeze' past a Mercedes car as they went down the drive.

But minutes later they set off in pursuit of the car only to find it had crashed into a stone wall and a tree.

Blackburn magistrates heard the driver, Paul Adam Glaser, needed hospital treatment but when he gave a breathalyser test five hours after leaving the reception he was still over the drink-drive limit.

Glaser, 28, of Fletcher Road, Preston, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol. He was remanded on bail for the preparation of a pre-sentence report after the court heard he had a previous excess alcohol conviction in 2001.

Neil Standage, prosecuting, said that when officers got to Ferrari's restaurant they were given information which caused them to circulate details of the Mercedes they had just passed on the drive.

They set off towards Longridge and found the car where it had collided with the wall and the tree.

Mr Standage said the officers had first seen the car at 1am and it was not until after Glaser was discharged from hospital at 5.55am that he could be breathalysed. He gave a reading of 55 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath, against the legal limit of 35.

Liz Parker, defending, said Glaser and his girlfriend had initially intended to stay the night at the hotel but she had a change of mind and he sent for a taxi.

"There was a dispute over who the taxi was for and the argument turned into a fight," said Mrs Parker. "He then foolishly decided to drive."