A TOP barrister who lives in East Lancs has been left with a £1,300 legal bill after being caught drink-driving.

Leading prosecutor and defence attorney Alaric Bassano was stopped by police in Bury New Road, Prestwich, while twice the drink-drive limit on December 16.

He underwent a roadside breath test and was later taken to Bury police station where he gave a reading of 69mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath.

The legal limit is just 35mg.

Bassano, of Southfield, between Nelson and Burnley, admitted driving with excess alcohol at Bury Magistrates Court on December 30.

The lawyer, who works for Manchester-based Exchange Court chambers, was driving a silver Audi A8 saloon car at the time of the incident, just before 2am, the court heard.

Magistrates fined him £1,200 with £85 court costs and a £15 victim surcharge, and banned him from driving for 16 months.

Bassano generally appears as either a prosecutor or defence counsel in courts across Greater Manchester and has appeared in a number of high-profile cases.

He was involved in the unsuccessful dangerous driving prosecution of boxer Amir Khan and the 2008 conviction of Lancashire priest William Green for sexually abusing boys at a Greater Manchester boarding school.

He also prosecuted Christopher Brown, from Burnley Road, Bacup, who was jailed indefinitely at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court for plying a vulnerable teenager with drugs before having sex with her.