A MAN was stopped by police after a tip-off that he was drink-driving.

Andy Merrell of Priory Lea, Ross-on-Wye pleaded guilty to drink driving at Hereford Magistrates Court last week.

The court heard on December 18 he was out with friends at the Wetherspoon pub in Ross, before he decided to drive home shortly after midnight.

Officers acted on information that he was going to drink-drive and followed him for half a mile when he came out of the pub and got in his car.

When officers stopped him they saw there was an open bottle of cider in the central block of his car.

A breath test showed the 21-year-old had 41mg of alcohol per breath – the legal limit is 35mg.

Chris Read, defending, said he had been out with friends and was "extremely" careful with how much he drank and felt he would be below the drink-drive limit.

He said: "He was as close as you can possibly get to being over the limit".

Magistrates fined Merrell £250 and ordered him to pay £85 in prosecution costs and a £25 victim surcharge.

He was also disqualified from driving for 12 months.