Drinking too much because it was his brother's funeral the next day, a Falmouth man was arrested as a drink driver after police had been alerted to his apparent drunken behaviour before getting into a car.

Sean Williams, aged 31, of Oakland Park, pleaded guilty at Truro Magistrates' Court to drink driving on March 17 when he tested at 71 mcg, more than twice the legal limit.

Gail Hawkley, for the CPS, said a police officer had been warned by staff at Asda in Penryn that he might be drunk after he had gone there to buy alcohol at 11.40pm.

The officer saw him drive away from the store and put on sirens and blue lights on the police car to stop him. He drove on for some way before finally coming to a standstill, where he was deemed drunk and failed a roadside breath test.

Williams told the magistrates he had been depressed that night because it was his brother's funeral the next day, and had drunk too much.

“It was totally out of character and it won't ever happen again,” he said, adding that he had had a clean licence since he was 17.

Williams was fined £115 and £105 costs and surcharge and banned from driving for 18 months.