TWO days after being bailed on a drink drive charge Leslie Hartley was seen in a drunken condition getting behind the wheel again.

Blackburn magistrates heard that on the first occasion Hartley gave a breath test reading more than three times the legal limit but the second time he was arrested he refused to give a sample.

Hartley, 45, of Skye Crescent, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol and failing to provide a breath sample. He was made subject of an 18-month community rehabilitation order, with a condition that he attends the alcohol and substance related offending programme. He was also banned from driving for three years.

Lisa Worsley, prosecuting, said on the first occasion Hartley had given a reading of 117 microgrammes of alcohol against the legal limit of 35. Two days after appearing in court a police officer saw Hartley and two other men, all of the clearly drunk, get into a car. Hartley was in the driving seat and set off.

Michael Blacklidge, defending, said Hartley had no previous drink driving convictions despite his extensive criminal record which showed he had "been through the mill."

"It seems strange that there has been no intervention by any of the agencies since the 1970s," said Mr Blacklidge.