A drink driver who crashed his Audi S3 into metal barriers in St Neots has been banned from getting behind the wheel.

Clyde King, 25, returned to his vehicle in Market Square at about 1.30am on May 29 when he drove off and almost immediately crashed into a set of metal barriers.

Despite the crash, King drove off, with CCTV operators alerting the police.

An officer on patrol in Little Paxton noticed the vehicle, which had significant front-end damage and was smoking heavily.

When King was stopped by the officer, he refused to take part in a roadside breath test and was arrested.

He was taken to custody, where he completed the test – returning a reading of 67ug of alcohol per 100ml of breath. Nearly double the legal limit.

King, of Samuel Jones Crescent, Little Paxton, admitted driving with alcohol levels above the legal limit.

On Tuesday (August 23) at Peterborough Magistrates Court, he was banned from driving for 18 months, fined £162 and ordered to pay £85 towards prosecution costs.

Sergeant Aaron Murphy said: “This collision could have been far worse. Fortunately, King’s Audi and the metal barriers were the only casualties on this occasion.

“Drink driving is completely unacceptable. It significantly increases your chances of being involved in a serious, or even fatal, collision.

“Those who decide to drink drive are putting their lives and those of other innocent people at risk.

“I hope King has learnt his lesson and won’t make the same mistake again.”

More than 460 suspected drink or drug drivers have been arrested in Cambridgeshire so far this year as police warn motorists of the risks of driving under the influence.

Last week, a campaign was launched that warned drink or drug driving can destroy lives and that it’s not just the driver at risk.

You can report a drink driver via Cambridgeshire Constabulary’s confidential hotline: 0800 032 0845. If someone is in immediate danger, always call 999.

For more information about drink or drug driving, the law and the dangers it can cause, visit the force's dedicated drink and drug drive advice page.