A UNIVERSITY student described as having "a dependency on alcohol " has been banned from the road for 14 months at Selkirk Sheriff Court after admitting a drink driving offence.

Finlay Duff struck the same vehicle twice in the car park at Tweedbank Leisure Complex on the evening of Thursday, October 18, as he attempted to manoeuvre his car.

Witnesses grabbed the keys off him and filmed his antics on a mobile phone before police were called to the scene.

Duff - who is in his final year at Edinburgh University and lives in Jedburgh - failed to co-operate with a breath test at Hawick Police Station so the level of alcohol he had consumed was unknown.

Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said the incident happened at around 5.30pm when staff at the leisure complex saw a Vauxhall Corsa come into the car park.

He said: "The accused was driving and his younger brother was in the passenger seat. The car struck and damaged one of the cars in the leisure centre car park.

"Staff and witnesses approached the accused to see if he was okay.

"The little brother got out and headed to the hockey pitch.

"The accused said he was okay and that he had just driven from Jedburgh. At that point he tried to reverse out of the parking space and struck the same vehicle again.

"They keys were removed from the car to prevent him from driving any further.

"When police officers arrived the accused said he had not driven there and there was no vehicle. But the incident had been recorded on a mobile phone."

Mr Fraser said that Duff also failed to co-operate with a breath test.

Duff's lawyer said his client accepted he would be disqualified from driving more than the minimum sentence because of his lack of co-operation at Hawick Police Station.

He said the ban would cause Duff difficulties as he had moved out of student accommodation in Edinburgh in his final year and was travelling from Jedburgh.

In addition to the 14-months ban, Duff was fined £300.