A man was so drunk that when police arrived to deal with him he got in the driver’s seat of their patrol car.

Ryan McLaughlin’s rowdy behaviour was disturbing residents in Ingles Road, Folkestone, who called 999.

A court heard that when officers arrived in the road at about 9.30pm on Monday, January 29, the 39-year-old laid on the pavement and refused to move.

When he eventually got up, he stumbled to the police car and sat behind the steering wheel.

Not content with that, when officers finally removed him from the driver’s seat, he then threw himself on the bonnet of a vehicle parked nearby and was promptly arrested.

McLaughlin, of Cheriton Road, Folkestone, was later charged with being drunk and disorderly and admitted the offence when he appeared in the dock at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court on Friday, February 29.

Julie Farbrace, prosecuting, said: “Officers attended Ingles Road after reports a male was being disorderly and was drunk.

“He was lying on the pavement and then stumbled to the police vehicle and sat in the driver’s seat.

“When officers got him out, he then threw himself on the bonnet of a parked car.”

Ms Farbrace told magistrates that when he was arrested in Ingles Road, McLaughlin was on a community order he was given in July last year for another offence.

At the time, he had been given an alcohol treatment requirement and rehabilitation days.

Early last year, McLaughlin admitted another drunk and disorderly offence after he had been evicted from a barber's shop.

McLaughlin had walked into Clean Cut Barbers in Guildhall Street, Folkestone, wanting a trim, but started abusing workers after being told there were no appointments.

When he was taken into custody and searched, officers found a small quantity of cocaine on him and he was charged with being drunk and disorderly and in possession of cocaine.

He admitted both offences when he appeared before Folkestone magistrates on February 15 last year. McLaughlin - who was at the time signed off sick with arthritis - was fined £120 for each offence.

At his latest appearance in the court, magistrates fined him £40 for the new drunk and disorderly offence and ordered he pay a victim surcharge of £16, as well as £85 court costs.