A 56-year-old man from Felixstowe has been jailed for drink driving after being caught more than four times over the drink drive limit.

Police were called shortly after 5pm on Friday 4 September 2020, by a member of public reporting concern with regards to the manner of driving of a motorist.

Officers located the vehicle at the driver's home address, where the male driver failed a roadside breath test. He admitted to officers that he had consumed alcohol an hour prior to being stopped by police, but claimed he had not been drinking prior to driving.

The man was arrested on suspicion of driving with excess alcohol and brought to Martlesham Police Investigation Centre where he was found to have 151 microgrammes of alcohol in his breath, four times the legal limit. He was later released under investigation pending further enquiries.

Following an investigation, Clive Pottinger of Roman Way in Felixstowe was summonsed to Ipswich Magistrates' Court on Friday 5 February where he was charged with driving with excess alcohol, and driving otherwise in accordance with a licence.

Pottinger appeared before Ipswich Magistrates on Wednesday 14 April, where he was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison, and banned from driving for four years and six months. He was also ordered to pay a total of £273 in fines.

PC Alex Fletcher said: "We are grateful to the quick-thinking member of public who called police because they were concerned about the safety of the driver, and other road users.

"There is no excuse for Clive Pottinger's decision to drive while in no fit condition. It goes without saying that driving while over the legal limit is incredibly dangerous, but when someone is more than four times it shows complete disregard to other road users.

"Drink and drug driving is one of the 'fatal four' offences which makes people more likely to be killed or seriously injured in a collision; alongside speeding, using a mobile phone and not wearing a seatbelt.

"We would always urge people to report suspicious driving to us, so we can take action and make our roads safer."