A man who had a couple of pints while playing in a pool match was stopped by police on his way home because he didn’t have his lights on.

Blackburn magistrates heard a breathalyser test showed Benjamin Taylor was narrowly over the limit when stopped in Whalley Road, Accrington, while driving his Ford Focus.

He blew 45 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath, over the legal limit of 35mcg.

Taylor, 44, of York Street, Church, admitted to driving with excess alcohol. He was fined £120 with £85 costs and banned from driving for a year.

Taylor told the court he had the chance of a “good job” as long as he had his licence but District Judge Alexandra Preston said she had no option but to ban him.

Joe Seale, prosecuting, said Taylor was stopped on Whalley Road, Accrington, at 11pm on August 11 because he was driving without any lights on.

Jonathan Taylor, mitigating, said: “He had a couple of pints while playing in a pool match and though he would be alright to drive home.”