A DRINK-DRIVER was caught swerving across the lanes of a Herefordshire dual carriageway.

Constantin Ignateanu admitted drink-driving and driving without insurance or a licence when he appeared before magistrates in Hereford.

Police were made aware of a Volkswagen Passat potentially being driven by a drink-driver on the A40 at Ross-on-Wye at around 1.30am on May 22, prosecutor Ralph Robyns Landricombe said.

Officers found the car as it left the BP garage near the town, and Ignateanu was pulled over after police saw him swerving across lanes.

Ignateanu was arrested after failing a roadside breath test, while further checks revealed he had no insurance and an expired provisional licence.

An evidential test in custody revealed he had 51 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

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Marilena Di Vitantonio, for Ignateanu, said the 28-year-old had been celebrating his name day – a Christian tradition in celebration of his namesake saint's day – with another person and had drunk some alcohol.

"His plan was to stay at that house, but in the end he did not and took the decision to drive home.

"He tells me he did have insurance and has shown me confirmation of this, but it was invalidated due to the status of his licence."

Ignateanu, of Hartleton Farm caravan site, Bromsash, was disqualified from driving for 14 months and fined £816. He must also pay costs of £135 and an £82 victim surcharge.