A Balloch motorist who was six times over the drink-drive limit when police intercepted him on the M8 motorway, has been fined £1,000 and banned from driving for two years after admitting the offence in court.

When John Rainey appeared in the dock at Paisley Sheriff Court, it was stated that police quizzed him after seeing his ‘erratic’ driving, and he confessed: “I was an idiot.” Rainey, 59, of Taylor Street, admitted he had 137 microgrammes of alcohol in his breath, exceeding the legal limit of 22, while driving on the M8 near to the A737 exit in Renfrewshire, on June 22.

The court was told officers on patrol suspected he was unfit to drive and followed his silver Vauxhall Vetra for a short distance before activating their blue lights and siren to stop him in his tracks.

Sheriff James Spy imposed the £1,000 fine, reduced from 1500 due to his early guilty plea, and said that due to the very high reading, he would be disqualified for two years.