A SECOND drink-driving offence cost a retired college lecturer a three-year driving ban and fines and costs totalling £1480.

Philip Schofield, 53, of Brierfield Drive, Bury, was found guilty by Rossendale magistrates of driving with excess alcohol and was remanded for pre-sentence reports.

Eddie Harrison, prosecuting, said the offence arose from a road accident on Bolton Road North, Edenfield. A police officer spoke to one driver at the scene and spoke to the second driver, the defendant, at his home.

He noticed the driver's breath smelt of alcohol and a subsequent test showed 97 mlgs of alcohol in his breath - almost three times the legal limit of 35 mlgs.

Mr Harrison added that Schofield, who was a lecturer at Accrington and Rossendale College at the time of the accident, told the officer: "In no way was I over the limit when the accident occurred."

He claimed he had since drunk a quarter bottle of vodka and three lagers.

The magistrates fined him £800 with £680 prosecution costs, including £500 expert witness fees, and told him they had no alternative but to impose a three-year ban for a second drink-driving offence.

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