A Tidworth man has been banned from driving and fined hundreds of pounds after being almost three times the drink drive limit.

Jason Tilling, of Normandy Road, pleaded guilty to drink driving at Salisbury Magistrate's Court on Friday 12 February. He was disqualified from driving for 36 months and fined £730.

Officers said that “the result of his actions could have been far more serious” had he not been stopped at the time.

At 12.45am on November 28 last year, police were concerned about the driving of a Vauxhall Insignia on Normandy Road, causing them to pull the vehicle over.

The driver, Tilling, failed a roadside breathalyser and was arrested and taken to Melksham Police Station where he provided a reading nearly three times the legal limit.

Last week, he pleaded guilty to the offence in court, and was banned for three years as well as being fined. The disqualification will be reduced by 274 days if Tilling completes a driving course as instructed by the court.

PC Webster of the Amesbury Community Policing Team said: "I hope the length of this ban acts as a deterrent to anyone who thinks about getting behind the wheel of a vehicle under the influence of alcohol."

"Being caught behind the wheel of a vehicle over the drink drive limit can have a detrimental impact on your life, as this driver has discovered."

"Not to mention the risk you are putting other road users at. It is fortunate he was spotted by officers when he was as the result of his actions could have been far more serious."

The sentencing follows news that Wiltshire Police arrested 43 people on suspicion of drink or drug driving at the start of February.

The arrests were made between February 1 and February 14, with 22 arrested for drink driving and the rest for drug driving.

Jerry Herbert, deputy police and crime commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon, said: "Being convicted of drink or drug driving has a severely detrimental impact on your life, not to mention the lives you put at risk when you take to the road.

"You could be facing losing your licence or even going to prison.

"Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is one of the fatal four reasons that increase the chances of a road traffic collision on the roads of Wiltshire ending in serious injury or worse, a fatality.

"We know more people are drinking at home and there may be a false sense of security if you are not driving home from a pub or a restaurant after a drink, but alcohol and drugs stay in the system for longer than you think and it is your responsibility to ensure you are fit to drive.

"Our message has always been very clear, there is never an excuse to drive whilst over the limit."

Wiltshire Police ask members of the public to call 101 if they suspect someone of drink driving, and to give as much information as possible, including the driver's details or description and their car registration.

If a suspected drink driver is already behind the wheel, then 999 should be called.