A BRIDGWATER man who popped out for a late night burger earned himself a 15 month driving ban after staff at McDonald's noticed he had been drinking.

The police were called to the drive-thru takeaway in Yeovil and found James Carl Woodward sat in the driver’s seat of his van.

He said he had only had one alcoholic drink however failed a breath test at the roadside and was arrested.

Woodward, a 25-year-old carpenter, of Knowle Road, pleaded guilty to driving a Transit van on Lysander Road in Yeovil on June 17after consuming excess alcohol.

Prosecutor Emma Lenanton said the police were called to McDonalds just after 11.30pm after reports that a drive-thru customer was believed to be under the influence of alcohol.

“The officers attended and found the defendant sat in his vehicle and he told them he had only drunk one alcoholic drink,” she said.

“However he took a roadside breath test which he failed and was arrested.”

He was taken into police custody where they carried out a further breath test which revealed a reading of 52mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, the legal limit being 35mcg of alcohol.

Defending himself, Woodward said that he was a self-employed carpenter and completely understood that he was going to get disqualified from driving.

“I genuinely did not think that I would blow that high a reading and had only drunk three bottles of Stella,” he said.

“I hold my hands up to it as it was a stupid thing to have done and I should not have got into the van.”

He added that he was now trying to find somebody reliable to transport him to work but was finding it very difficult.

Alongside the driving ban the magistrates fined the defendant £690 with £85 costs and a £69 victim surcharge.