AN alcoholic found slumped over the wheel of his car believed his friends had spiked his drink, a court was told.

Burnley Magistrates heard how Shaun Michael Burke, 35, claimed he had had four pints of Guinness but was almost three times the legal limit.

His solicitor said he had done the "responsible thing," and had pulled off the road to sleep it off in a lay-by when police found him.

Burke, of Newmarket Street, Colne, admitted being in charge of a vehicle with excess alcohol -- his fourth drink drive-related offence.

He was bailed until September 25 for a pre-sentence report.

Christiana Buchanan, prosecuting, said a member of the public alerted police she was concerned about a car being driven towards Colne.

She claimed it was swerving all over the road and believed the driver was either ill or drunk.

The woman had seen the car stop in layby.

An officer went to the layby and found the defendant slumped over the wheel, with the car engine running.

The officer reached in, turned off the ignition and asked what was going on.

Mrs Buchanan said Burke appeared the worse for drink. His eyes were glazed and when he was asked if he had been drinking he said :"No, not really."

He was asked to provide a specimen of breath, became agitated, tried to use his mobile telephone and was told he was under arrest.

Burke declared: "That's my life finished. I'm an alcoholic."

The lower of two police station breath tests gave a reading of 104 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath -- the legal limit is 35.

Chris Squibbs, defending, said Burke had been an alcoholic for 20 years. He had finished work, met friends and had four pints of Guinness.