A DRINK-driver was threatened with prison after admitting his third offence in the space of seven years.

Stephen Taylor, aged 29, had admitted drink-driving on the A38 at Worcester shortly after midnight on November 24 last year, at a previous court hearing.

Ali Nixon, prosecuting, told how police pulled over Taylor, of Old Vicarage Close, Kempsey, in a routine check.

"He made three attempts to provide a breath test, but none of these was successful so he was arrested," she said.

She said that at a police station he later gave a reading of 68 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Miss Nixon added that he had previous drink drive convictions in 1995 and 1997.

David Jackson, defending, said he was surprised that a pre-sentence report prepared by the probation service had taken into account only one of the previous convictions.

At this point the chairman of the bench at Droitwich Magistrates' Court said that, in the light of the repeated offending, a custodial sentence might be considered.

After a brief adjournment Mike Weston, of the probation service, prepared an additional report, in which he recommended a community-based sentence.

Mr Jackson added that his client was extremely sorry for committing the offence.

Taylor was ordered to carry out a community punishment order of 220 hours, banned from driving for five years, and ordered to pay £60 court costs.