A motorist has been banned from the road for three years after twice getting behind the wheel over the drink-drive limit.

Paul Brooks even had to be stopped by another driver when he was seen in his BMW on the wrong side of the road.

The other motorist was so concerned about the manner of his driving, they pulled up in front of him when he stopped in the middle of a road in Tunbridge Wells and blocked him from going any further.

The 59-year-old, who works at a wedding venue near his home in the town, was spotted by the other motorist in London Road, in May last year.

A court heard he had been seen violently swerving to get back into the right lane to avoid oncoming traffic . When police were called he was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving.

A breath test saw him blow 80 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath and he was later charged with drink-driving but denied the allegation when he appeared in court last year.

However, before he could stand trial over the matter, he found himself in the cells again after being stopped in the same BMW late at night on March 1, in Coach Road, Tunbridge Wells.

Unfortunately for him, he was recognised by the same police officer who dealt with him last year and he was arrested for a second time on suspicion of drink-driving.

A breath test later revealed he had 59 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit is 35.

Brooks, of High Rocks Lane, Tunbridge Wells, was charged with drink-driving and admitted the offence at Maidstone Magistrates’ Court on March 19 and the other drink driving charge from May last year was also put to him again and he changed his plea for that offence from not guilty to guilty.

The bench heard it was also not the first time he had been convicted of drink-driving, as he had a similar conviction dating back to 1994.

Richard Lamb prosecuting said: “On May 15 last year another motorist noticed a BMW driving on London Road but on the wrong side of the road before it swerved violently to move back to the other lane.

“The vehicle then stopped in the middle of the road near a chip shop and the other motorist then parked their car in front of his to stop him leaving.

“He blew 80 in breath back at the police station.

“The other incident was on March 1, this year, when again he was seen in his BMW. It was about 11pm and he was spotted by a police officer sitting in the vehicle.

“He recognised him from the previous incident and then saw him drive along the High Street and on to Coach Road and then the vehicle was stopped.

“The officer asked if he had been drinking and he failed a roadside breath test and gave a reading of 59. There was no interview.

Andrew Main, defending, told the court his client had been to The Oak pub that night and had consumed an amount of alcohol.

Mr Main added: “He didn’t consider it to be over the limit, he works at a wedding complex near to his home and it was just a four-minute drive, had he thought about it for a minute he could have walked home.

“The other incident, he had been drinking wine on and off during the day so that’s why the reading was 80.

“He earns between £450 and £600 a week working at wedding functions.”

Magistrates banned him from driving for 36 months and said the term was above their guidelines for a single drink-driving offence, but of course, he had admitted two.

However, they did offer him the drink-driving course which will reduce his ban by a quarter if he completes it.

He was fined £675 for the first drink-driving offence and £500 for the second, and was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £470 and £170 court costs.