A MAN who had been to feed his parents' cat and crashed his car on his way home at 7am was found to be more than five times the legal drink-drive limit.

Blackburn magistrates told Alistair Peter Tart, who had no previous convictions of any kind, that due to the high reading they felt they had no option but to impose an immediate prison sentence.

Tart, 40, of Shawbridge Street, Clitheroe, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol. He was jailed for 18 weeks, banned from driving for three years and ordered to pay £122 victim surcharge. The court heard Tart gave a reading of 166 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath against the legal limit of 35.

Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said police were called to a road traffic collision on December 1 on the Petre Roundabout on the A59. The defendant was sitting in a Jaguar X Type Sport which was the only vehicle involved.

He gave a positive roadside sample and as he was being taken to the police station said; "Why was I driving the wrong way around a roundabout."

When he was interviewed he said he had been to Wilpshire to feed his mum and dad's cat and was on his way home. He said he had already made the same journey at 2.30am to feed the cat.

He said that after leaving his parent's home for the second time he had no memory of what happened.

"He told police he was a trained HGV driver and why would he be going around the roundabout the wrong way," said Miss Allan.

"It is suggested the reason was he was highly intoxicated as shown by him blowing five times the legal limit."

Greg Earnshaw, defending, said his client had never been in court before.

He said Tart had worked all his life until he became ill following an accident.

He subsequently lost his job, his marriage broke down and he was left living in rented accommodation and claiming benefits.

"He still doesn't remember anything of the incident but it may be he wasn't going the wrong way around the roundabout," said Mr Earnshaw.

"That was suggested by the way his car was facing but there was nothing to confirm it."