POLICE investigating a report of a possible drink driver found the man in his car with the engine running on a shop car park.

Blackburn magistrates heard officers saw Garry Forrest reversing the vehicle and took the keys off him before breathalysing him.

And the court heard Forrest gave a reading more than three times the legal limit. Forrest, 57, of Heys Close, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol.

He was made subject to a community order with conditions that he attends the drink impaired driver course and completes 80 hours unpaid work. He was banned from driving for 40 months after the court was told he was convicted of drink driving last year.

Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said police went to the car park of the Tesco Express store on Livesey Branch Road at 2.10 pm on October 27 following a report from a member of the public of a possible drink driver. They saw an Audi TT parked and as they watched it reversed out of the parking bay.

“An officer shouted at the defendant to stop and then removed the key from the ignition,” said Miss Allan. “He was clearly under the influence and had to be assisted to the police van.”

The court heard Forrest had bought a bottle of Jack Daniels from Tesco and had sat in his car drinking it.

Steven Levine, defending, said there had been potential for a not guilty plea because his client had been sitting in the car drinking and not driven anywhere. “He has been honest enough to admit the car did move backwards,” said Mr Levine.