A DRINK-DRIVER was caught on a Herefordshire motorway after having alcohol with a meal earlier that evening.

Eugene Jenkins admitted the offence when he appeared before magistrates in Hereford.

The 27-year-old had been being followed by police in an unmarked car on the M50 between Ross-on-Wye and Ledbury at 11.40pm on February 27 when he pulled over onto the hard shoulder and came to a stop, prosecutor Ralph Robyns Landricombe said.

The officers also pulled up to ask Jenkins why he had stopped, but when they approached the Kia Sportage, they could smell alcohol and there were bottles of lager in the footwell.

Jenkins was arrested after failing a roadside breath test, and an evidential test in custody revealed he had 56 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Chris Read, for Jenkins, said he had been heading home to the north of England from Swansea when he was caught.

"He had a couple of alcoholic drinks with an evening meal at about 5pm, and this was near midnight," Mr Read said.

"He thought he had taken this into account by delaying his journey home, believing the alcohol would have left his system, but clearly he was wrong.

"He understand he will lose his licence, and this will have a big effect on him and his family. He has elderly relatives who he provides care for, he does some work which involves driving in the family business, and he also works as a self-employed gardener and will not be able to carry on with this without a licence."

Jenkins, of Ruskin Avenue, Newton-le-Willows, was disqualified from driving for 12 months and fined £120. He must also pay costs of £135 and a £34 victim surcharge.