A company director resigned from his position after he was caught driving a vehicle while more than three times the legal drink-drive limit.

Alan Duckett, of North Berwick, had been drinking alcohol when he decided to drive to buy more drink but collided with a parked vehicle.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told that police officers were in a marked patrol vehicle and “were made aware of a vehicle accident” in the town on April 28 this year.

It was said the vehicle that had collided with a parked car had been driven away and officers began scouring the local area in a search for it.

The court heard that the vehicle belonging to Duckett was spotted parked outside his home on the town’s Westgate and the car had suffered damage which was said to be “consistent with an accident”.

Duckett allowed the officers entry to his home where the constables noted his speech was “slurred and slow” and he was “unsteady on his feet”.

He admitted to the officers “it was me who was driving” when asked about the collision and he subsequently provided a positive breath test reading.

The court was told that Duckett, a director of an engineering company, was found to have 75mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 22mg.

Solicitor Jonathan Campbell said his client was a father of five adult children and currently lived in the town with his elderly mother.

Mr Campbell said Duckett, 64, was a company director and, after disclosing his arrest to the firm, he had agreed to leave his position and retire early.

The lawyer said the accused had suffered from an “alcohol problem for some time and had been managing it” before the accident took place.

The court heard Duckett had been drinking alcohol in his home before making the “foolish decision” to make the short journey to buy more drink.

Mr Campbell added that Duckett was now seeking help with his alcohol consumption and has been attending sessions with MELD [Mid and East Lothian Drugs] and was now “very embarrassed” to find himself in court.

Sheriff Grant McCulloch banned Duckett from driving for 24 months and fined him a total of £790.

Duckett pleaded guilty to driving a vehicle with 75mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath at Westgate, North Berwick, on April 28 this year.