A JOINER who was twice caught over the drink-drive limit had just started his own business and a ban would have a drastic effect on him, magistrates heard.

Shaun O'Mara, 21, had been taking friends home in the early hours when he was followed by police.

He claimed he had had a couple of pints of lager at tea-time but a breath test revealed 76 micro-grammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath the legal limit is 35 the Burnley bench was told.

O'Mara, of Avon Court, Burnley, admitted driving with excess alcohol on March 26. He was fined £200 with £55 costs and banned for 20 months.

Stephen Parker, prosecuting, said police followed the defendant after they spotted him turn quickly into a road. They put on their flashing lights and stopped him.

The defendant smelled of alcohol and when he was asked if he had had a drink and said he'd had a couple of lagers. He had no previous convictions.

Trevor Grice, defending, said O'Mara and friends had been to the pub and had then gone back to his house.

O'Mara's friends had carried on partying but he had gone to bed. When he woke up his friends wanted to go home and pressured him to give them a lift. He thought he would be safe to drive as he had had a sleep.

Mr Grice said the defendant worked all over the North West and a ban would drastically affect his business.

He could not afford to pay someone else to drive him and his future employment prospects were not looking good.