A DRINK-DRIVER was caught after spending the evening at the pub when he was pulled over for no insurance.

Dan Sandu admitted drink-driving and driving without insurance when he appeared before magistrates in Hereford.

Police had been following Sandu as he drove a Honda FRV in Hereford's Blueschool Street at 9.35pm on April 1, prosecutor Eleanor Peart said.

Checks revealed he had no insurance and he was pulled over.

Sandu, who has no previous convictions, admitted that he was not insured to drive the car when he was approached by police and was arrested after failing a roadside breath test.

An evidential test taken in custody at Hereford police station revealed he had 57 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

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George Cousins, for Sandu, said the 27-year-old had pleaded guilty to both charges at the first opportunity.

"He says the excess alcohol was a mistake as he had sat in the pub for two hours before deciding to drive," Mr Cousins said.

"He had no insurance as he had just brought the car back from Romania. He has a van as well, but decided to take the car, and clearly that was a mistake, as he now knows."

Sandu, who is of Chave Court Close, Hereford, was disqualified from driving for 15 months and fined a total of £520. He must also pay prosecution costs of £135 and a £52 victim surcharge.