A man who drives heavy goods vehicle for the army has been banned from driving for more than a year after being caught behind the wheel drink driving.

Kimanus Serieux, 35, of Belfast Mead, Lyneham, pleaded guilty to drink driving at Swindon Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, September 4.

The court heard how Serieux attracted attention from officers when he was “contravening a keep left bollard” around 12:45am on Sunday, August 18 while driving on Kingsbury Street in Marlborough.

Officers then found the vehicle stopped a short distance away and went to speak to Serieux, who blew a reading of 44 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, despite the legal limit being 35.

Serieux, who has no previous convictions and has been driving heavy goods vehicles in the army for around four years, was arrested and said to be “calm, polite and co-operative in custody”.

He told officers he had been at a family barbecue that evening and limited his alcohol consumption to a Guinness and Magnum, but "must have got the calculations wrong" and felt fine to drive as he did not finish the Magnum and waited before getting in the car just to be cautious.

Nevertheless, he was disqualified from driving for 13 months, fined £400 and ordered to pay a surcharge of £160 and prosecution costs of £85 – totalling £645.