A FACTORY worker caught drink driving in the early hours had had a traumatic day before he got behind the wheel.

Burnley Magistrates heard how Lee Booth, 21, had been to the funeral of his friend's mother, gone round to the friend's for a drink and had been attacked.

Booth, of Cobden Street, Barnoldswick, who was almost twice the limit, was fined £300 and disqualified from driving for 18 months after admitting driving with excess alcohol.

Tom Snape. prosecuting, said in the early hours a police officer on Skipton Road, Barnoldswick, saw a car drive past him at speed.

He went after the vehicle, it pulled up and he went to speak to the defendant. The officer immediately noticed Booth's breath smelled of drink and he was slurring his words. A roadside breath test proved positive.

Mr Snape said the defendant was taken to the police station, where the lower of two tests showed 66 microgrames of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - the legal limit is 35.

Geoff Ireland, defending, said the day before the offence had been particularly traumatic for Booth.

He had gone to his friend's home after the funeral of the friend's mother and had not intended to drive.

There had been some trouble there and he was attacked by a man he did not know. That caused him a great deal of distress and he left. Booth had wanted to go as quickly as possible and he foolishly got into his car.