A BELLINGHAM farmer has narrowly escaped jail after being caught drink driving for the fourth time.

Matthew Jeffrey (41) drove his Land Rover Discovery into a ditch on the C341 near Fenwick on Christmas Eve.

He was arrested by police, who found he had 73 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, which is more than double the legal limit of 35 microgrammes.

Appearing at South East Northumberland Magistrates’ Court in Bedlington on Thursday, January 12, the court heard it was his fourth drink driving offence since 2004 and his third since 2012.

Jeffrey, of Broomhope Farm Cottage, Bellingham, admitted that he was a disqualified driver and that he was 12 months into a four-year ban, which he had received in December 2015 for another drink driving offence.

He was also charged with driving with no insurance.

After being arrested, the farmer later told police that he had been distracted by a mobile phone while he was driving.

He admitted the charges and was given an 18-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, along with a five-year driving ban.