An Aberystwyth student nearly crashed into an unmarked police car as he drove to his term-time home while more than twice the drink-drive limit.

Joe Alexander Winzar, 20, was seen by a police officer driving erratically on Marine Terrace in the early hours of 5 June.

Winzar was driving without his lights on and almost hit the unmarked car the officer was in.

Winzar, of 6 Battenburg Avenue in Portsmouth, admitted drink-driving, with a breath test showing he had 81 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, more than twice the legal limit of 35.

Helen Tench, prosecuting, said the officer was at Marine Terrace for an unrelated reason, but saw Winzar driving slowly along Marine Terrace and veering across the road before speeding up.

He then turned around outside Alexandra Hall before pulling in behind the police car, but Ms Tench said Winzar almost crashed into the police car.

When the officer spoke to Winzar he smelt alcohol and Winzar failed a breath test.

Defence solicitor Janem Jones said Winzar was “full of remorse” for the incident.

She said Winzar had worked an eight-hour shift before parking his car on the seafront and meeting friends at Inn on the Pier.

While Winzar was intending to leave his car there, he decided to move it so he wouldn’t get a parking ticket and drove the short distance on Marine Terrace.

Winzar was banned from driving for 17 months. He was also fined £120 and will pay costs totalling £115.