A MAN who stumbled out of a takeaway in Darwen Street, Blackburn, and drove off was more than double the legal drink-drive limit.

And a district judge, who heard that Gordon Graham was also a disqualified driver with a record for drinking and driving, said he was left with little alternative but to jail him yet again.

Graham, 45, of Bolton Road, Darwen, pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified and with excess alcohol and was sent to prison for four months.

District judge Paul Firth said Graham, who gave a reading of 78 against the legal limit of 35, had clearly not been in a fit state to drive even if it had been legal for him.

"I have a duty to protect all of those who use the public roads," said Mr Firth. "You ignore orders of the court and you can give me no real explanation for why you did so on this occasion."

Elliott Taylforth, defending, said his client had no idea why he had driven when his wife, who does not drink, was with him.