DAVID Freer's drinking days could be over after magistrates declared him a habitual drunkard and banned him from buying alcohol in every pub in the country.

And his predicament is making life a misery for his identical twin brother Mark, who is finding it more and more difficult to persuade publicans he is not his ill-behaved brother.

David has admitted 17 drinking offences over the past two years when Malton police have arrested him mostly for being drunk and incapable.

Mark, 38, of Cherry Avenue, Malton, has suffered for some time from being tarred with the same brush as his brother David, who was declared an 'habitual drunk' by Scarborough magistrates last week.

Before the court case there were few pubs in Malton where Mark could drink beer because of David's reputation.

Mark said: "If I go in and they say you're barred that's it.

"If I try explaining that I'm Mark they don't want to know. It's up to their discretion isn't it.

"I'm going round Malton and I'm wondering which pub I'm banned from next.

"I went out on Saturday night and got barred from one pub because they said your brother's banned so you are too.

"That's not fair - it's discrimination."

Sergeant Glen Jackson, of Malton Police, said: "I can imagine Mark's problem but unfortunately it's been brought on by his brother."

There are now only three pubs left in the town which Mark claims he can get served in.

Meanwhile David says he is planning to appeal against the court ruling but has admitted he needs to change his ways. He said: "I'll have to cut down."