A Warwick drunk driver who was four times over the legal limit has been handed an eight week suspended jail sentence and disqualified from driving for nearly three years.

David Arnold, 46, of Grassington Avenue was arrested on 20 December after a member of the public called police because they were concerned a driver they had seen may be drunk or unwell.

Officers were in the immediate area and stopped Arnold on Woodloes Avenue South at 8.50pm where he was arrested after having 141 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of his breath - the legal limit is 35 micrograms.

At Leamington Magistrates Court on Friday (2 February) he was sentenced to eight weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months with a 20 day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement.

He was also disqualified from driving for 34 months and ordered to pay £135 costs and £154 victim surcharge.

The court considered the offence so serious that only a custodial sentence could be justified because of the high alcohol reading and manner of the driving. 

However, the custodial sentence was suspended because he was considered of "good character" and there is a "reasonable prospect of rehabilitation".

He was one of 10 local drivers to be sentenced on Friday.

PC Simon Dalby said: "These drivers are finding out the hard way that drinking and driving has huge consequences for them, their partners and families. 

"Drink driving is a serious offence and their sentence means they have a criminal record affecting job prospects and where they can go on holiday as they will not be able to travel to some countries.

"They will need to walk, cycle, use public transport or get a lift to go anywhere for the foreseeable future.  

"Drink driving doesn't just happen at Christmas and our officers will continue to target drink and drug drivers throughout the year to remove them from the roads to make our roads safer for everyone."