A CHRISTMAS party drink-driver has been fined £600 and banned from driving.

Peter Bait, who works for the Navy, said he drove home because he was feeling ill even though he had been drinking.

Bait, 30, of Beckhill, North Lincolnshire, admitted that on December 12, on a road or other public place, namely Admiralty Road, Rosyth, he was unfit to drive through drink or drugs.

Depute fiscal Jane Rennie said: "At around 9.15pm, police officers were driving on Admiralty Road when the accused's vehicle came to their attention because it had no lights on.

"Officer followed him into Sainsbury's car park and asked him to wind down his window and he looked disorientated.

"He was asked to sit in the police vehicle and there was a strong smell of alcohol.

"He then stated he was going to be over the limit because he had been at a Christmas party.

"The reading was 110 micrograms."

Defence solicitor James Moncrieff said: "Mr Bait had been at a work Christmas party. He had been feeling unwell and decided to go back to his base.

"He made the foolish decision to drive.

"He has a clean licence."

Sheriff Charles Macnair said: "You must have known that you shouldn't have been driving with that amount of alcohol showing on the reading."

As well as being fined £600, Bait was disqualified from driving for 15 months.