A BMW-driving tour guide was caught swerving across a Herefordshire main road while more than four times the drink-drive limit.

Thomas Davies entered a guilty plea to one charge of drink-driving when he appeared before magistrates in Hereford in November.

Members of the public had witnessed Davies driving his BMW erratically on the A480 in Mansel Lacy in Herefordshire on October 12, swerving and hitting the kerb, prosecutor Mark Hambling said.

They spoke to him and said he was in a daze and could hardly speak.

Police were called to Davies, who was described as "extremely intoxicated".

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An evidential breath test revealed he had 145 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, more than four times the legal limit of 35 microgrammes.

Emma Thorne, for 54-year-old Davies, said no-one was more disappointed than him.

"He had driven into Hereford to collect a friend from the railway station, and the friend was going to drive them back," she said.

"He drank alcohol while waiting, but then did not collect the friend and tried to drive home."

Mrs Thorne said Davies, who is a self-employed tour guide, was grateful to the witnesses who had stopped him for their help and compassion.

"Alcohol is the problem," she said.

"He lost his brother to cancer and he has been given antidepressants, but uses alcohol to medicate, drinking two bottles of wine a day."

Mrs Thorne said that thankfully no-one had been hurt that day and that Davies does want help and is engaging with an alcohol programme.

The court heard from a probation report that Davies had stopped on the way at a petrol station, where he had bought a bottle of spirits and fruit juice, which he had then decided to drink.

The probation report said it seemed he had "quite a significant" depressive illness and that he turns to spirits in times of crisis.

Davies, of Lake View Close, Llangorse, was handed an 18-month community order with 200 hours of unpaid work and disqualified from driving for 32 months. He must also pay costs of £135 and a £114 victim surcharge.

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