A SELKIRK pensioner who admitted driving while almost four times the legal alcohol limit has been banned from the road for 20 months at the town’s sheriff court.

Sixty-year-old Alexander Lindsay pleaded guilty to driving with having 234 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of urine – the limit being 67 milligrammes.

Prosecutor India McLean said the incident happened in Selkirk’s High Street last month when Lindsay first struck a car while attempting to reverse and another person witnessed him driving away and having to take evasive action to avoid a collision and also swerving between lanes before striking a kerb.

Lindsay claimed he “had a few whiskies” in the house before police arrived shortly afterwards.

But accepted that he had been drinking in the pub earlier.

Sheriff Peter Paterson said it was an “extremely high reading” and said he would have banned him for 30 months but reduced it to 20 months due to the guilty plea.

In addition a fine of £500 was imposed with a £40 victim surcharge.