A CHARD man who was caught drink driving by police also admitted he had no license or insurance.

Officers were on patrol in Chard when they saw Gary Peter Lowe at the wheel of a Mercedes near Summerlands with its fog light illuminated.

After pulling him over at a nearby car park he was asked to take a roadside breath test which he failed and was then arrested, Somerset Magistrates were told.

During interview it also transpired he had no insurance or licence and when he appeared in court at Yeovil he also faced further similar offences from a separate incident.

Lowe, 33, of Alun Rees Way, pleaded guilty to driving in Chard on December 13 last year after consuming excess alcohol, without insurance and a licence.

He also admitted driving without insurance and a licence on Avishayes Road in Chard on August 22.

Prosecutor Emma Lenanton said that on December 13 police were on patrol in Chard at 7.40pm when they saw a Mercedes vehicle with its rear fog light illuminated.

“It was stopped in a car park near Summerlands and the defendant was the driver and he then failed a roadside breath test,” she said.

Lowe was arrested and at the police station took a further test which revealed a reading of 55mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, the legal limit being 35mcg of alcohol.

On August 22, Lowe was spotted driving a VW Passat on Avishayes Road in Chard and when he was pulled over told officers he was aware he only had a provisional driving licence and was not insured.

He was told he was being reported for the offence and the car was then seized by the police.

The magistrates asked Lowe why he had not been insured and he told them he didn’t have a licence so couldn’t get insurance, and said the Mercedes vehicle belonged to a friend.

The defendant was banned for 15 months for drink driving and fined £120 for each of the two no insurance offences.

No separate penalty was imposed for the licence matters but he was ordered to pay £85 costs and a £32 victim surcharge.