A MAN claimed he was shocked to find he was over the limit because he had only been drinking shandy, Bolton magistrates heard.

Jack Mather, aged 32, of Ainsworth Lane, Tonge Fold, thought the drink was weak and he would be alright to drive his car.

The court was told that when police spotted his car with a defective rear light in Avenue Street, Brownlow Fold, they pulled him over.

William Donnelly, defending, said: "When the officers opened the door of the car they could smell alcohol inside."

Mather was tested at the roadside and at Astley Bridge police station and was found to be over the limit.

He was so shocked he asked a forensic expert to see if the use of an asthma inhaler could have affected the reading. It was found that the reading was correct and he pleaded guilty to the charge.

He was convicted for a similar offence in 1999.

Mather was disqualified from driving for three years, fined £100 and ordered to pay £75 costs. He agreed to take part in a drink drivers rehabilitation course, which will shorten his ban.