A man who had two pints with a meal has been banned from driving after police caught him swerving in the road when he was fiddling with his car radio.

Anthony Rowlands, aged 67, admitted being twice the drink drive limit when Police Constable Wilkinson stopped his Nissan X-Trial on the B4568 in Aberhafesp, near Newtown on September 27.

Welshpool Magistrates' Court was told that drink driving was "unlike" Rowlands, but he admitted it was poor judgement. He was banned from driving for 18 months and ordered to pay £369 in fines and costs.

Owain Jones, representing Rowlands, said: "He recalls swerving the car but he says he was fiddling with the wireless - the radio - but he knows he should have paid more attention to the road.

"He says he had a couple of pints with a meal in town and made a bad judgement there.

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"He is 67 years of age and has never been in trouble before. This is unlike him. He doesn’t have driving problems; it’s just poor judgement on his behalf.

"He has co-operated fully with the police and entered an early guilty plea.

"He lives alone in a remote location, but he has made plans knowing he will be disqualified with shopping and the like. He has taken this seriously."

The magistrates ordered Rowlands, of Lower Garth, Aberhafesp, to pay a £203 fine, £81 victim surcharge and £85 court costs He was also offered to attend a drink driving awareness course to reduce his disqualification period by four-and-a-half months.