A CARE worker employed by the National Institute for the Deaf was dismissed from his job after being found driving four residents home while more than three times the drink drive limit.

Alan Wilkinson, 47, of Ferguson Street, Blackburn, was stopped by police as the group returned to a Blackburn hostel from the shops.

But Blackburn magistrates were told that Wilkinson had never accepted that it could be possible for him to have such a high reading, although he had no legal grounds to challenge the prosecution evidence.

Defence solicitor Paul Schofield said his client was still adamant that he could not even have been over the limit.

"He feels he has to plead not guilty, even though he cannot challenge the evidence and there is only one verdict that the court can return," said Mr Schofield.

Wilkinson entered his not guilty plea but then accepted the prosecution version of events and did not give evidence on his own behalf. He was convicted.

Mr Schofield said Wilkinson, who is also hearing impaired and needed a signer in court, had worked at Richardson House as a residential social worker for 11 years but had been dismissed since his arrest for drink driving.

On the day of the incident, a Sunday, Wilkinson had gone to the pub in the afternoon to watch football and had drunk three pints of ordinary Theakston's bitter.

He went home for his tea and set off to work the night shift at about 8.30 pm, picking up a colleague on the way.

"That colleague told the disciplinary hearing that he did not smell of alcohol, he wasn't drunk and she had absolutely no concerns," said Mr Schofield.

Shortly after he got to work Wilkinson discovered there was no milk and offered to go to the shop. Day shift workers had also neglected to take residents to do their shopping and four of them asked to go with Wilkinson, who drove a people carrier owned by the RNID.

"They were on the way back to Richardson House when he was stopped and breathalysed and gave a reading of 112," said Mr Schofield. "He believes the machine must have been wrong but all the tests have been carried out and the evidence is that the machine was working correctly."

The offence was committed on January 20 and Wilkinson was sacked after a disciplinary hearing in February. He appealed against the decision but it was upheld.

Wilkinson was disqualified from driving for 30 months and fined £125. He agreed to be referred to the drink-drive rehabilitation programme which, if completed successfully, will reduce his ban by up to 25 per cent.