Police found a drunk man at the wheel of a car with a can of Carlsberg nearby before he fell over twice after being arrested.

Elywn Parry was discovered by officers sitting in a vehicle near McDonald’s in Pavilion Square, Westhoughton.

Bolton Magistrates Court heard police had been called to reports of drink driving on June 22 this year.

Police saw a can of Carlsberg near Parry in the car and spoke to him.

Kat Smallwood, prosecuting, said: “He told them he had had a couple of Stellas.

“He admitted being drunk in control of a motor vehicle.

“He was detained.

“He fell over on two occasions which indicated that he was intoxicated.

“He refused to provide a specimen.”

At court Parry, 67, pleaded guilty to the failure to provide a specimen when required to do so.

The court heard he had been convicted for drink driving in 2015.

Joshelle Holdgate, defending, said: “On the day in question he had simply had enough, he was having a breakdown.

“He describes himself as crashing and burning.

“He simply turned to alcohol as a way to cope.

“He has a conviction for drink driving from 2015, it was also committed when he was having a breakdown in his mental health.

“He had a break from alcohol.

“He had fallen back into a bad pattern when he committed this offence.

“Following his release he hasn’t drunk.

“Since 2015 he has wanted to travel to the USA, he has waited ten years for a Visa.

“This is going to delay him applying for a Visa.

“He cannot explain why he failed to provide a sample.

“He is very very sorry, he has let himself, his children and his wife down.

“The sole reason for the behaviour is the decline in his mental health.”

Ms Holdgate added that he had been to see his GP to get help with this.

Chair of the bench James Fisher fined him £415 and ordered him to pay further costs of £251.

As well as this, he banned Parry, of Cashmore Drive, Hindley, from the roads for six months.