A MAN found slumped at the wheel of his car beside a motorway slip road had nearly four times the legal amount of alcohol in his system.

Police were called after Oliver Wassell’s car was seen in a ditch on the side of the M50 slip road near Newent on Tuesday, November 8 last year.

A breath test showed he had 134 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres. The legal limit is 35 micrograms.

Wassell, of Barn Ground, Highnam, was arrested and taken into police custody before being charged with driving a motor vehicle when over the legal alcohol limit.

Wassell appeared at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court last Friday (March 3) having previously pleaded guilty to the offence.

He was banned from driving for two years and six months.

As well as the driving ban, Wassell was sentenced to eight weeks in prison suspended for 12 months, required to complete alcohol dependency treatment and ordered to pay £239 in victim surcharge and court costs.

Sergeant Mark Feltham from the Roads Policing Unit said: “I would like to thank the concerned member of the public who called us back in November as its helped to take a drink driver off the roads.

“When we arrived and breathalysed Wassell he was in no fit state to be driving and was unable to stand up on his own so it’s very fortunate that he didn’t cause an accident.

“I hope this case serves as a reminder to people to think about how they will get home after drinking as well as if they need to use their vehicle as alcohol can stay in your system for a lot longer than people realise.”