A ROOFER has lost his licence for trying to drive home after having four pints in a social club.

Eric Pearson, of Mountain View in Saltney, appeared at Mold Magistrates Court on Thursday.

The 58-year-old admitted that on October 25 when suspected of having driven a vehicle and when required to provide a specimen for analysis he failed to do so.

Prosecutor Rhian Jackson told the court that at around 6.30pm on the day of the offence, police noticed a silver Vauxhall van parked up at St David's Retail Park in High Street, Saltney.

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They had received information about the vehicle and waited for the owner to return.

When the vehicle left the retail park around 10 minutes later, it was stopped, and the driver identified himself as Pearson.

He smelled of alcohol and confirmed he'd been drinking, the last one being around 20 minutes before he was stopped.

Pearson said he'd had "about four pints" that evening and when asked, he failed to provide a breath specimen.

When arrested and taken to Llay, he was asked twice to provide a specimen - but again he failed.

Andy Holliday, defending, told the court his client was a man of previous good character who "completely holds his hand up" in relation to the offence.

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He'd been to the Saltney Social Club and had a few drinks, Mr Holiday said, and made the "stupid decision" to drive the short distance home when he could have just walked.

The self-employed roofer did provide a breath sample before leaving custody, the court heard - with his reading being 82 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the limit being 35.

Deputy District Judge Paul Conlon said the reading was "indicative of the fairly high level of impairment."

Pearson was fined £350 and ordered to pay a £140 surcharge and £85 costs.

He was banned from driving for 17 months.