CONCERNED members of the public forced a motorist to stop his car after seeing him driving erratically, magistrates heard.

George Otieno, 46, of Park Road, Cross Hills, was first reported by a member of the public driving his Nissan Qashqai on the wrong side of Gargrave Road in Skipton at 7.45pm on November 16, Skipton Court was told.

As he approached the roundabout with the A629 he swerved, narrowly missing another car, and mounted the kerb, before being forced to stop by other motorists who ‘boxed him in’ before calling the police, the court heard.

Otieno, of previous good character, provided a positive roadside breath test – recording 101 microgrammes of alcohol per litre of breath, the legal limit being 35. He was arrested and taken to Harrogate Police Station. At the police station he was so drunk he had to be helped and was unable to provide a urine sample for the evidential test, magistrates heard.

Otieno, who admitted driving while being unfit through alcohol, had met by chance a friend in Skipton and it had ended up in disaster, the court was told.

In mitigation, Keith Blackwell said his client had intended to do some shopping in the town and had ended up drinking with a friend. After drinking two large glasses of wine, he had become ‘disinhibited’ by drink and had made the unwise decision to drive home to Cross Hills.

Otieno was banned from driving for 26 months and was ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work. He will also have to pay costs of £85 and a surcharge of £90. It he completes a drink drivers rehabilitation course, his ban will be reduced by 26 weeks.