A MAN has been banned from driving after being double the legal drink drive limit.

At Newcastle Magistrates' Court on May 27, Adam Thomson (32), of Edge Hill, Ponteland, pleaded guilty to a charge of driving with excessive alcohol.

The court heard that Thomson was driving on the A696 at Newcastle on September 17 last year with 70 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35mgs.

He was disqualified from driving for 18 months and fined £311.

Thomson must also pay £150 court costs and a £34 victim surcharge.