Drink driver caught by off-duty officer

A drink driver who was stopped by an off-duty officer in Whittlesey has been disqualified from driving.

Andrew Parker, 57, was pulled over on the evening of 12 July after the officer saw him driving a silver Ford Mondeo and crossing the central lines in Ralph Butcher Way.

They followed him into Stonald Road and pulled him over.

He was arrested after failing a breath test and later found to be more than two times the legal limit.

Parker, of Swan Road, Whittlesey, appeared at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on Friday (30 August), where he was disqualified from driving for 20 months and ordered to pay a £369 fine.

PC Sam Dane, who investigated, said: “Fortunately the off-duty police officer was in the right place at the right time and stopped Parker before he could potentially cause harm to himself of other road users.

“There is no excuse when it comes to driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. I encourage anyone planning to have a drink to arrange alternative transport.”

The force operates a dedicated, confidential hotline – 0800 032 0845 – which is available 24/7 and provides the public with the chance to provide information about anyone they think may be driving under the influence.

Information about drink driving, the law and the penalties, can be found on the force’s dedicated road safety information webpages.