A MAN who drove while drunk at night along the bank of the River Ouse in York city centre has appeared in court.

Haaris Dean Stockdale had drunk six pints that night and the previous evening and was nearly twice the drink drive limit, York magistrates heard.

Katy Varlow, prosecuting, said CCTV operators alerted police when they saw Stockdale, 20, drinking from a bottle near a car on Queen’s Staith at 4am on April 7.

“He then got into the driver’s seat and drove along Queen’s Staith towards Skeldergate,” she told the court.

Police officers stopped him before he could get far and gave him a breath test.

The test gave a reading of 64 micrograms in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Stockdale, 22, of Hollin Park Place, Roundhay, Leeds, pleaded guilty to drink driving.

Queen's Staith is the opposite side of the River Ouse to King's Staith.

Magistrates banned Stockdale from driving for 18 months. They also fined him £120 and ordered him to pay £85 prosecution costs and an £85 statutory surcharge.

For him, Suhail Ahmed said he had come from Leeds to York to attend a friend’s birthday party.

He had not intended to drink, but had been offered a place to sleep in York and had had six pints in 12 hours.

The bottle he had been drinking from by the car had contained water, said the solicitor.

He didn’t often drink and didn’t realise the effect the alcohol had had on him.

He was in the first year of a physical education degree course in Leeds and worked from time to time as a sales representative of a carpet company.

He had no previous convictions.