A MAN who refused to be breathalysed in Ross-on-Wye has been banned from driving for 18 months.

Shane Allchin of Knightshill, 24 Lea, was stopped by police on May 4 after they saw him leave Wilton Garage.

Officers said he was unsteady on his feet, and he refused to be breathalysed both at the roadside and at the police station.

He pleaded guilty at Hereford Magistrates Court to failing to provide a specimen for analysis.

Chris Read, defending, said Allchin had been at a social gathering with his wife and friends, and although admits drinking alcohol early in the evening, he said he had been drinking soft drinks for most of the night.

Mr Read said Allchin had simply panicked and now wished he had been breathalysed.

He was banned from driving for 18 months, fined £110, ordered to pay £85 costs, £150 criminal court charge and a £20 victim surcharge.