A man who took cocaine and was almost twice the drink-drive limit moved his car from outside a pub as he was worried about getting a parking ticket.

But after road worker Ricky Winstanley got behind the wheel of his Audi S4 in Dover, someone reported him to the police as they suspected he was intoxicated.

A court heard that after he had driven along the A256, officers caught up with the 34-year-old in nearby York Street where he was still in the vehicle.

Tests would later show he was almost twice the drink-driving limit - and more than nine times the limit for cocaine.

Magistrates heard he had only driven a short distance before he was found in the car park at 2.20pm on Sunday, July 9, last year.

He did a roadside drug swipe which proved positive for benzoylecgonine, a cocaine by-product, and he was arrested on suspicion of drug-driving.

Back at the police station he was also given a breath test and gave a reading of 69 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

While in custody his bloods were also taken and when the tests came back, he was found to have 468 microgrammes of benzoylecgonine in 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 50.

Winstanley, of Gloster Way, Dover, was charged with drink- and drug-driving and admitted both offences when he appeared before magistrates in Maidstone on Monday.

Terry Knox, prosecuting, added: “Officers received information about a suspected drink-driver and discovered the defendant in his car in York Street, Dover, and a drug swipe proved positive.

“At the police station he also blew 69 in breath. The legal limit is 35.

“He’s of previous good character.”

Geoff Playford, defending, said his client, who works for a contractor carrying out minor road repairs like filling in potholes, may be able to keep his job, depending on how long his ban was.

Mr Playford added: “He fully cooperated with the police and this was six or seven months ago now. He wanted to move it to a car park and he was stopped there, but he intended to walk home.

“He didn’t want to leave it where it was as he has had a [parking] ticket before and was going to the car park and was then going to walk home.

“He had the right idea, but did the wrong thing. It was a short distance and then he was stopped by police. He should not have been driving.

“He has spoken to his employer and if the ban is not too long, they may be able to live with that.”

Magistrates said his reading of 69 was in the second bracket of their guidelines and, as a result, they were banning Winstanley from driving for 18 months and fining him £461 for the drink-driving offence.

He was also disqualified for a year for the drug-driving offence, but that ban will run concurrent to the other.

Winstanley was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £184 as well as £85 court costs. If he completes a drink-driving course, his ban will be reduced by a quarter.