MAGISTRATES told a drink-driver he was lucky he did not injure anyone when he drove erratically through the centre of York.

Sean Darren Lester, 25, was three-and-a-half times the alcohol limit when he narrowly missed running down a group of pedestrians. Lester was uninsured and had a police car following him at the time, said Gaynor Zeki, prosecuting.

CCTV operators had watched him having difficulty unlocking and opening the driver’s door, and tipped off officers.

They had been keeping an eye on the car because it was parked half on the pavement and half on the road on double yellow lines in Stonebow, just after midnight on Saturday, March 16. Lester, of Dolben House, Ripon Croft, off Heworth Green, pleaded guilty to drink-driving, dangerous driving and driving without insurance.

Magistrate Deborah Chipps said: “These are very serious offences on the streets of York. You were very lucky on that evening no-one was injured.”

The court heard he had had the car for some weeks, but could not afford to insure it.

Mrs Chipps said: “If you can’t afford to insure your vehicle you shouldn’t have a vehicle. You take responsibility for the vehicle you are driving.”

Lester was banned from driving for two years and ordered to take an extended driving test. He was also given a community order with 12 months’ supervision, a drink impaired driving rehabilitation course and 100 hours’ unpaid work, fined £200 with £85 costs and a £20 Government imposed victim surcharge.

Ms Zeki said Lester drove on the wrong side of the road and narrowly missed a group of pedestrians crossing the road. He eventually parked the car in St John’s Walk, off Heworth Green, and was arrested nearby.

A breath test gave a reading of 118 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Vicky Latham, representing Lester, said the offence was out of character. He had not intended to drink and drive, but had taken the decision to do so after he had been drinking. None of the pedestrians had had to jump out of his way.