POLICE saw a van driving down Blackamoor Road, Blackburn, with no tyre on the front off-side wheel and a road traffic cone jammed under the wheel arch.

Blackburn magistrates heard there were sparks flying from the metal wheel and when the driver got out of the van he was clearly drunk.

Self-employed mechanics Ian Singleton, 37, of Thorncliffe Drive, Darwen, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol. He was fined £150 with £55 costs and disqualified from driving for two years.

Singleton, who gave a reading of 98 against the legal limit of 35, agreed to be referred to the drink-driver rehabilitation programme which, if completed successfully, could reduce his ban by up to 25 per cent.

Tom Snape, prosecuting, said police officers were travelling up Blackamoor Road towards Guide at 11.30pm on Saturday night when they saw the van travelling in the opposite direction and quickly stopped it.

John Dewhurst, defending, said the inevitable disqualification would hit Singleton extremely hard.

"Since June he has been working for himself as a mobile mechanic but as of today he is out of work," said Mr Dewhurst.

"Apart from getting to the jobs he is not going to be able to test-drive the vehicles and that is also going to make it difficult for him to find employment."

Mr Dewhurst said that on the night of the offence Singleton's van had a puncture and he was driving it to the the Walker Steel car park so it would not cause an obstruction.