A FARM worker who moved his car from Market Street in Haddington after drinking in a nearby pub has been banned from the road.

Edvinas Petraitis, 24, got into his car after drinking alcohol as he did not want to get up in the morning to move his vehicle.

But as he attempted to manoeuvre his grey Fiat Bravo, he was spotted by alert police officers who immediately pulled him over.

After finding Petraitis had been drinking, he was ordered to take a breath test which showed he was three times the legal drink-driving limit.

Fiscal depute Anna Robertson told Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday that Petraitis was seen getting into his vehicle on Market Street at about 12.53am on April 15. He was taken to a police station where he produced a reading of 68mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 22mg of alcohol.

Ms Robertson said that at the time of the offence the weather conditions were dry but the streets were very dark apart from street lighting.

Solicitor Jennifer Cameron said that her client, of Tyne Court, Haddington, was an agricultural worker who had been in the UK for about four years.

The lawyer added that Petraitis had gone to his local pub in the town and parked his car nearby.

But after drinking alcohol he “thought it best to move it”, despite being in the pub for a couple of hours.

Ms Cameron said that Petraitis would accept any punishment handed down to him but that any driving ban would cause him difficulties with his employment as he travelled to rural locations to work.

Sheriff John Cook heard the facts and decided to ban Petraitis from driving for 14 months and ordered him to pay a fine of £500.

The sheriff also allowed Petraitis to take part in the drink-driving rehabilitation scheme which, if completed, will see a reduction in the length of his ban by a quarter.