A DRINK driver caught nearly five times over the limit told police he could not remember driving from Birmingham to Lymm, a court heard.

Andrew Smith, aged 40, was seen by witnesses trying to get into the wrong house on Huntsfield Close, after trying to visit a friend's property.

Halton Magistrates Court heard on Friday how Smith was seen 'swerving all over the motorway' on the M6, between Knutsford and Warrington, at 3.55pm on November 22, last year.

Beverley Dobson, prosecuting, said a later call notified police of an abandoned vehicle on Huntsfield Close.

Empty wine bottles were found in the passenger seat of Smith's BMW 320.

After being arrested, the court heard the defendant told officers at Cheshire Police he was driving from Somerset when he stopped at services near Birmingham.

"He said he couldn't remember anything after that because of the level of intoxication," said Ms Dobson.

"He can't remember anything until completing the breath test while in custody.

"He didn't give any reason as to why he had been drinking so much."

When Smith, of Gatekeeper Fold, Waterloo, Ashton-under-Lyne, took the breath test, it gave a reading of 167 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath.

The legal limit is 35 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath.

The father-of-two, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol on December 11, last year.

Smith, who has held an experienced managerial position for 16 years, admitted to having a drink problem.

The court heard the defendant has started an alcohol treatment programme, and that he is 'mortified', but could not explain driving at least 80 miles when drunk.

And Smith could not say how much he had to drink, or when he drank it.

Magistrates said it was 'rare' to see a drink driving case where the alcohol limit was so high, and that it was 'fortunate' no harm was caused.

Smith was sentenced to eight weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, and 250 hours unpaid work.

The defendant was also banned from driving for three years.