PEER pressure led a young footballer to pop out and pick up his friends after he had been drinking, a court was told.

A police detective smelled alcohol on Neil Parsons' breath after stopping him at 1am on Friday, November 16, during a search for a group of troublemakers who had been in a Worcester club.

Two tests showed the 19-year-old had 48mcg of alcohol in 100ml of his breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.

Parsons admitted driving with excess alcohol.

Charles Hamer, defending at Droitwich Magistrates Court, said Parsons had not been out getting drunk, but at home nursing a leg injury for most of the night.

"He had had a few drinks when his friends called to say they had missed their train and had no taxi fare," he said.

"They asked him to give them a lift home.

"Being a decent chap and not taking into consideration the consequences, he drove from his Stourport-on-Severn home to Worcester."

Once he had picked up his five passengers, Parsons, of Lickhill, attempted to drive out of the city but was stopped in Castle Street.

Mr Hamer said a ban would prove a hard lesson for the estate manager, as he needed his car to visit caravan sites.

Parsons was banned from driving for 12 months and fined £200 with £55 costs.