A DRINK-driver was almost three times the limit in the middle of the afternoon, Burnley magistrates heard.

Stephen Heys, 54, had been seen by a police officer to stagger away from a pub and get into his vehicle at 3.15pm on a Friday afternoon.

When he was stopped, Heys got out and nearly fell over, the court was told.

The car had a deflated tyre.

Heys, of Hawthorne Road, Burnley, admitted drink-driving on November 23. He was fined £750, with £40 costs and banned for 28 months. He had no previous convictions.

The defendant gave a test showing 112 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - the legal limit is 35.

Heys told the court: "All I can do is apologise for my stupidity."