A motorist who continued his journey after drunkedly crashing into a ditch in north Essex has been banned from driving for two years and fined over £200.

Warren Doolan, 51, of Moss Lane, Romford, pleaded guilty to driving whilst over the prescribed limit at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, May 15, where he was disqualified and fined £231.

Doolan crashed his Nissan Navara in East Road, Mersea Island, at about 9.15pm on Tuesday, April 3.

He was assisted by another motorist, who towed his vehicle out of a ditch.

Doolan then continued his journey to a nearby caravan park where he was staying, unaware that a driver who witnessed the crash had followed him and called police.

Essex Police attended the location and, after a search of the site, found Doolan at about 10.05pm. He insisted that he had drunk two cans of beer since returning home but a breath test found that he was three times over the drink-drive limit.

Sergeant Colin Shead, of Stanway Roads Policing Unit, said: “Doolan thought that his drunken collision had gone unnoticed but he didn’t see a vigilant member of the public and following a search by our officers, he was found.

“Doolan claimed that he had been drinking since coming home but his reading was the evidence we needed to prove he had been drinking for much longer period. He has since admitted the offence and has been banned from driving.”