A MILITARY veteran has been banned from the roads after he was caught drink-driving in Hereford.

Nathan Alan Prince entered a guilty plea when he appeared before magistrates in Hereford.

Police had spotted him behind the wheel of a Volkswagen Passat in Hereford city centre at 8.55pm on June 5, prosecutor Ralph Robyns Landricombe said.

But as they followed him along Newmarket Street, Prince started to speed up in the 20 zone and officers noted his passengers were not wearing seatbelts.

Prince was pulled over and was arrested after failing a roadside breath test. An evidential test in custody revealed he had 50 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Emily Gourley, for Prince, said the 33-year-old's references showed he is a hard-working family man.

"He was in town for some hours before," she said.

"He had drunk three pints and left it an hour before getting in the car. His friends then asked him to take them home, and it was a five minute drive. He was stopped because his friend was not wearing a seatbelt and immediately admitted he had drunk alcohol."

The court heard the military veteran, who had completed two tours of Afghanistan, has struggled with sleep since leaving the armed forces.

"He sleeps very little and this may have contributed to that day, as little sleep has a huge impact on the body," Mrs Gourley said.

Prince, of Tennyson Close, Hereford, was disqualified from driving for 12 months and fined £80. He must also pay costs of £135 and a £34 victim surcharge.