A man caught riding a scooter with a passenger in Leiston while he was three-and-a-half times the alcohol limit has been banned from the road.

Police saw a scooter riding on Park Hill, Leiston, around 9.15pm on September 12 this year, and the pillion passenger was not wearing a crash helmet, Suffolk Magistrates’ Court heard.

Officers stopped the Piaggio scooter and the rider, Agris Dundurs, 34, provided a positive roadside breath test, David Bryant, prosecuting, told the court.

Dundurs, of Old School Close, Leiston, was arrested and blew 124 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath at the police station.

The legal limit is 35mcg in 100ml of breath.

Police seized the scooter after checks revealed it was not insured and Dundurs had no driving licence.

Appearing at Suffolk Magistrates’ Court on Monday, Dundurs pleaded guilty to drink driving, driving without insurance and driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence.

The court heard that Dundurs, who has been living in the UK for five years, had no previous convictions.

Alistair Taunton, defending, said Dundurs accepted he made “a very stupid decision”.

“He had been drinking with friends and one of the friends wanted to go to the shop,” Mr Taunton said.

“He was persuaded to take him and accepts that he should have said no.

“He regrets it, and knows it was something he shouldn’t have done.

“He accepts there is no excuse for what he did.”

Mr Taunton added that Dundurs had been working as a labourer but was looking for something more permanent.

John Beamish, chair of the bench, told Dundars: “These are very serious offences.

“The drink driving is aggravated by the fact that you were carrying a passenger and had no licence and no insurance.”

However, magistrates spared Dundars a prison sentence and opted to hand him a fine.

Magistrates fined Dundars £800 and ordered him to pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £80.

Dundars was banned from driving for three years, but was offered a drink-drive rehabilitation course by magistrates, which would reduce his ban by 36 weeks if completed.