A bus driver got behind the wheel despite being twice the drink-drive limit and crashed into a house, a court heard.

Frank Okanlawon, 55, of Wellington Street, Gravesend, was driving the Arriva single decker bus when it veered off Gore Road, Dartford, at 8.20pm on Saturday, May 23.

He appeared at Medway Magistrates Court on Tuesday charged with driving above the alcohol limit and driving dangerously. He admitted the first charge, but denies the second.

The court heard that his bus left the road at the roundabout of Darenth Park Avenue and struck a small wall at the front of a house in Gore Road.

It continued into the driveway and damaged two cars before coming to a rest when it hit the wall of the next house along.

Okanlawon had already dropped off his last passenger and nobody was injured. He was taken to Princess Royal University Hospital in Orpington, where a blood test revealed he had 166 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80.

Magistrates told Okanlawon to return to the same court for a case management hearing on October 6.

No further details were heard in court but witnesses at the time spoke about the collision.

Ray Smith, 69, and Pam Weeden, 64, were in their back garden when the bus came close to smashing its way into their living room.

Pam said at the time: “The noise was deafening to us, Ray said it sounded like an explosion. We ran out thinking ‘what on earth was that?’ and saw the bus embedded into the corner of the house.

“It had come through our next door neighbour’s wall, crashed into their cars, knocked them into each other, and demolished the fence as well.

“Ray comforted the driver and I called the emergency services, who were absolutely amazing.”

Police, fire crews and an ambulance all attended. Firefighters rescued the driver using hydraulic rescue equipment and small tools before placing him on a spinal long board.

Emergency crews had left by 9.30pm and the bus was removed in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The damaged cars belonged to next door neighbour Ann Murton, 43, who also said at the time: “Both of our cars are going to have to be written off and the gravel is going to have to be replaced.”