A drink-driver who crashed into a tree on his way home after celebrating a friend's good news said he did so because he swerved to avoid an animal in the road.

Rajan Bahra, 28, crashed his Toyota Rav 4 in Coldharbour Road, Northfleet, during the early hours of March 24.

The crash happened outside Thameside Ambulance Station and paramedics rushed out to help him and he was taken to hospital.

Bahra, of Nursery Grove, Gravesend, was given a urine test at the hospital and gave a reading of 136 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of urine. The legal limit is 107.

He was charged with drink-driving and admitted the offence when he appeared before magistrates in Medway on Wednesday.

The court heard Bahra, a delivery driver for a builders' merchant, had been at a friend's house two miles away from his home when they announced they were expecting a baby and alcohol was drunk to celebrate the good news.

Bahra had stopped drinking early in the evening and thought, in his opinion, he was fit to drive.

Magistrates also heard he swerved in the road just before crashing to avoid an animal.

The bench banned him from driving for 12 months and fined him £350 and ordered he pay a £140 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

If Bahra completes a drink-driving course, his ban will be reduced by a quarter.