AN IPSWICH-based footballer has been banned from the roads after he was caught drink-driving.

Helen Skene

AN IPSWICH-based footballer has been banned from the roads after he was caught drink-driving.

Tesfaye Bramble, 27, was driving his brother's Range Rover when police stopped him in Avondale Road in the town on June 27.

The former Southend United, Cambridge United and Stockport County striker, who is currently out of the game through injury, drank two vodka and Red Bulls within 20 minutes at the Gainsborough Labour Club in Landseer Road before getting behind the wheel.

Andrea Reynolds, prosecuting at South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court, said Bramble, of Stone Lodge Lane, had 45 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 micrograms.

Bramble pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol, to having no insurance and only a provisional licence.

Ms Reynolds said Bramble's car was stopped at about 11.30pm after police recognised him driving slowly in the car.

She said Bramble had been banned from driving for a year after being convicted of drink-driving in 2003 and would have to be disqualified for a minimum of three years on this occasion.

She added that a passenger in the car was a disqualified driver and no L plates were displayed so Bramble was not acting as a supervised driver on his provisional licence.

Russell Butcher, mitigating, said: “He borrowed his brother's vehicle.

“He has his own car and thought he was covered on insurance but he is a named driver on a friend's policy who usually acts as his supervising driver.”

He added that Bramble had last played for Stevenage Borough Football Club but left in April due to a knee injury.

Mr Butcher asked the court to allow Bramble the chance of completing a drink-drivers' rehabilitation course to reduce his disqualification but he was offered and refused it in 2003 and magistrates did not offer another chance.

Bramble was banned from driving for three years, fined £250 and told to pay £75 costs.

Chairman of the magistrates' bench, Peter Page warned Bramble: “If you drive on UK roads in the next three years you could lose your liberty.”