A FARMER has been banned from the roads after a trip to the pub with a friend.

Louis Saer admitted one count of drink-driving when he appeared before magistrates in Hereford.

The Nissan Navara driver had been stopped behind the wheel in Leominster's Dishley Street at around 8.30pm on November 3, prosecutor Mark Hambling told the court.

He was arrested after failing a roadside breath test and taken to the police station, where an evidential test revealed he had 48 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

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Mr Thomas, for Saer, said the 29-year-old wanted to apologise for his appearance before the court.

"It was early evening, and he had met a friend and drunk two pints of beer," he said.

Mr Thomas said Saer had not thought this would put him over the limit, but that it clearly had.

"He was stopped by police, I believe, after someone saw him coming out of a pub," Mr Thomas said.

"It was a complete error of judgement on his part."

The court heard that the loss of his licence will be difficult for Saer as he is a farmer and has a biomass business.

"The ability to drive machinery is very important to him," Mr Thomas said.

The court heard Saer's wife has given up her job in order to drive for Saer and to keep the farm running.

Saer, who is of Broad Lane, Leominster, was fined £230 and disqualified from driving for 12 months. He was also ordered to pay costs of £135 and a £92 victim surcharge.

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