Bristol drink driver caught after anonymous tip-off

An anonymous tip-off led to driver Philip Wintle being pulled over by police when he was three-and-a-half times the drink-drive limit.

North Avon magistrates were told the qualified engineer was stopped after details of his BMW car were given to officers by the caller.

He was later stopped on the ring road at Emersons Green, having left a pub in Winterbourne Down with friends in the car.

Kelly Marshall, prosecuting, told the court in Yate there was nothing abnormal about his driving but Wintle, 53, of Watleys End Road, Winterbourne, produced a breath sample that showed he had 125 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The limit is 35.

Wintle, who appeared for sentence after earlier admitting drink driving, was given a six-week suspended prison sentence, suspended for a year.

He was also banned from driving for 30 months, ordered to complete 150 hours of community service and told to pay £220 in costs.