A 74-year-old North Dorset motorist was caught driving on the wrong side of the road when almost twice the legal limit.

Blandford magistrates were told that Henry Dean, of Foots Hill, Cann, near Shaftesbury, had been driving since 1946 without a problem until his brush with the law on August 23.

Prosecutor Jane Marlow told the hearing that a motorist driving a Saab car found Dean's Volvo coming towards her from the opposite direction on the same side of the road - resulting in a collision.

A breath test showed he had 65mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath - the legal limit is 35 mcg.

Defence solicitor Simon Brimacombe told the court that widower Dean had now decided to give up driving as a result of what happened.

He said: "Mr Dean has been driving for a considerable period of time and never found himself in a position like this.

"In this particular incident my client had been out in town, in Shaftesbury.

"He tells me he had a couple of beers in the pub over a two hour period and then someone offered to buy him a scotch, which he did.

"When he left he did not appreciate he was over the limit and he believed he was on the correct side of the road when he drove back."

He added: "He does not think he will be driving again. His car was written off and he has no intention of purchasing another one."

Magistrates disqualified him from driving for 18 months, fined him £150 and ordered to pay court costs of £55.