A 37-year-old man who crashed his car into a ditch on a motorway slip road near Newent was found to be almost four times over the alcohol limit – and so drunk that he could not stand up, a court has been told.

Oliver Wassell, of Barn Ground, Highnam was slumped at the wheel of his Peugeot 308 and was unable to stand unaided, magistrates at Cheltenham heard on Friday, February 24.

He gave a breath alcohol reading of 134micrograms (mcgs) – almost four times the legal limit of 35 mcgs – when breathalysed on the side of the M50 last year.

Wassell, of Barn Ground, Highnam admitted that on November 8 last year at Newent he drove with excess alcohol on his breath.

The court heard that police were called to junction one of the M50 on the morning of Tuesday, November 8 after a concerned member of the public had seen a vehicle within a ditch on the grass verge.

“Roads Policing officers attended and found Wassell slumped at the wheel so conducted a breath test due to suspicions that he was intoxicated,” said a police spokesperson.

‘‘Wassell was arrested and taken into police custody before being charged with driving a motor vehicle when over the legal alcohol limit.

“As well as the driving ban, Wassell was given an eight-week prison sentence which was suspended for a yer, required to complete alcohol dependency treatment and ordered to pay £239 in victim surcharge and court costs.”

Sergeant Mark Feltham from the Gloucestershire Roads Policing Unit said: “I would like to thank the concerned member of the public who called us back in November as its helped to take a drink driver off the roads.

“When we arrived and breathalysed Wassell he was in no fit state to be driving and was unable to stand up on his own so it’s very fortunate that he didn’t cause an accident.

“I hope this case serves as a reminder to people to think about how they will get home after drinking as well as if they need to use their vehicle as alcohol can stay in your system for a lot longer than people realise.”