A MAN made a "serious error of judgement" when he decided he would be all right to drive home from a night out.

Blackburn magistrates heard that James Stuart Hammond was found to be marginally over the drink drive limit and as a consequence stood to lose his job as a resuscitation officer at Royal Blackburn Hospital.

Hammond, 40, of Sawley Road, Grindleton, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol. He was banned from driving for 12 months and fined £300 with £65 costs.

Aftab Bakhat, defending, said his client had originally intended to sleep at a friend's house and collect his car the following day.

"For some reason he weighed things up and came to the conclusion that he would be under the limit," said Mr Bakhat. "It was a serious error of judgement and one he bitterly regrets."

The court heard Hammond was marginally over the limit in breath and a blood sample showed a level of 94 against the legal limit of 80.