A MAN has lost his licence after police found him lying in his car at the side of the road, more than three times the drink-drive limit.

Mathew Burrows, of Llay Road in Llay, appeared at Mold Magistrates Court for sentence on Thursday.

The 30-year-old had previously admitted that on April 7 he drove a Ford Fiesta on Ffordd Gelfft in Connah's Quay after consuming so much alcohol that the proportion of it in his breath exceeded the prescribed limit.

Julia Galston, prosecuting, told the court that at around 5pm on the day of the offence, police were called to the scene of a road traffic incident involving the defendant.

When they arrived, they found his vehicle with three wheels on the pavement and the other off it - with Burrows lying back in the driver's seat and his keys in the passenger seat.

The defendant smelled of intoxicants and gave a positive roadside reading for alcohol, resulting in his arrest.

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In custody, he gave an evidential reading of 126 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the limit being 35.

He told officers he'd been out the night before and had consumed a lot of alcohol, following which he'd met his mum for a beer that afternoon.

Burrows claimed he had a call asking him to attend a property in the Bagillt area and whilst driving through Connah's Quay, traffic was "horrendous."

He said he went to Morrisons and bought two cans of cider, before consuming them in the car park and driving off.

The defendant ended up hitting a kerb and puncturing his tyre, which is how the police discovered the vehicle.

Probation officer Andrew Connah told the court Burrows fully accepted he'd purchased and consumed strong cider, and that he made the decision to stop about half a mile down the road when he realised he shouldn't be behind the wheel.

The punctured tyre had happened when he tried to pull up on the kerb, he said.

Mr Connah added: "He is just glad no one was hurt as a result of his actions.

"He accepts the main issue for him is alcohol consumption; and say he is not a dependent drinker, but is a binge drinker.

"He doesn't know when to stop, and he fully understands he needs to do something about this."

Melissa Griffiths, defending, said: "He's exceptionally disappointed with himself and knows he will be facing a lengthy disqualification.

"He decided he shouldn't be driving and stopped - colliding with the kerb."

She explained the defendant, a factory fitter, had since taken up the assistance of Kaleidoscope in relation to alcohol consumption.

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"He hasn't drunk since the incident," she added.

"When he starts drinking, he doesn't have an off-button and he can't recognise when he's had enough."

Ronald Keating, chairman of the bench, handed down a 12 month community order to incorporate 200 hours of unpaid work and a six month alcohol treatment requirement.

A driving ban of 30 months was imposed, alongside £85 costs and a £114 victim surcharge.