A GWENT haulage firm boss was banned from driving as he got behind the wheel of his car following an evening out drinking, a court heard.

Lyndon Williams, 64, of Penmaen Road, Pontllanfraith, will not be able to drive until October 27, 2013, after Caerphilly magistrates disqualified him for 17 months on Monday.

Prosecutor Stella Westmacott said that on May 10 police received an anonymous telephone call to say Williams was leaving the New Bungalow Club, Oakdale, to drive to his home address at 11.30pm.

Officers attended, breathalysed him and found he had 63 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath; the limit is 35.

Williams pleaded guilty to driving his Mercedes above the drink-drive limit in court yesterday.

Ashley Harkus, for Williams, said his client drank three pints in the company of a retired police inspector, made a “misjudgement”

to drive home and was sorry.

He said Williams runs a small haulage firm with one recovery vehicle and he is very concerned what impact the offence will have on it, as he has already had to downsize due to the recession.

Chairman of the bench Kevin Karney also ordered Williams to pay a £150 fine, £85 prosecution costs and a £15 victim surcharge.