A PENSIONER was so drunk that he had to be attended to by paramedics, Selby magistrates heard.

James Michael Conway, 74, of Millgate, Selby, was found drunk by police officers in Flaxley Road, Selby, on September 1.

Steve Ovenden, prosecuting, said that when the police arrived, paramedics were dealing with Conway, who was lying in the street.

He said that Conway was uninjured, but clearly very drunk and had slurred speech. He had also urinated in his trousers.

He added that Conway had previously appeared before Selby magistrates four times for drink-related offences.

Jane Pattison, mitigating, said that Conway had had a few drinks at a friends house and had bought half a bottle of brandy and some cigarettes on his way home.

But she said the defendant collapsed not from alcohol but because he had a bad case of pins and needles.

Concerned passers-by who found Conway lying in the street called an ambulance, Miss Pattison said.

She added that he was held at Fulford police station in York for six hours and had to pay £20 for a taxi back to Selby.

Conway, who pleaded guilty to being found drunk in a public place, was fined £50 and ordered to make a £30 contribution towards court costs.

Presiding magistrate Raymond Carr said: "You are persistent in doing this sort of thing."

Updated: 14:14 Friday, October 04, 2002