A “MOMENT of madness” cost a lorry driver his job after magistrates banned him from the road for drink driving.

At Sedgemoor Magistrates Court last Tuesday, Peter Ormerod, aged 51, admitted drink driving and failing to stop at the scene of an accident.

The court heard Ormerod, of Church Lane, Compton Bishop, had been working in a pub last Boxing Day to earn extra money as his wife was unable to work due to a broken ankle.

Ormerod had drunk about three half pints of beer and left for home before the pub landlord asked him to stay on longer.

Ormerod agreed and the court heard he continued drinking beer and lost track of how much he had consumed, but was clearly “over the limit”.

When he eventually left later that evening he drove home, around three and a quarter miles away, but the road was very icy.

Ormerod's car skidded and hit two parked vehicles before he “panicked” and carried on driving home.

Police later retrieved the registration plate from Ormerod's car, after it came off in the collision. That helped officers find out his address, and he was arrested and found to be over the legal drink drive limit.

Simon Cooper, defending, said Ormerod was “bitterly disappointed” with himself and would no longer be able to work.

He added: “One moment of madness has left him in dire straits.”

Magistrates took into account a letter Ormerod had written to the court. He was fined £165 and banned from driving for 16 months.