A MAN has been banned from the roads for 16 months for moving his car 40m across a car park while drunk.

Paul Ramsay pleaded guilty last week to driving the vehicle in Riverside Lane, Dumbarton, with 71mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath where the limit is 22mg. He also had no insurance/

Around 3am on April 9, CCTV operators in Clydebank watched a group of men and women head of out a night club and then Ramsay standing in a public footpath and taking possession of a set of car keys.

They continued to watch as Ramsay got into the car, a woman getting in the passenger side, and then reversing. The police arrived a short time later.

Ramsay's defence solicitor said the 27-year-old had been driving for 17 months with no penalty points and no previous convictions.

He said of the dad of one, of Lawn Street, Paisley: "This was not his vehicle. The car park is close to a night club. He and the female whose car it was and a number of other persons had attended.

"He had been dropped off by a family member and arrangements were made by the group to be driven away later.

"There was no intention for the car to be driven away. They were waiting for their lift to arrive. They took the view, wrongly, it might be an idea to move the car from one section of the car park to another, 40m away, under a street lamp and next to another vehicle.

"It was stupid and parked up again when police came to the scene. They were on the road for 15m."

The solicitor said the retail manager would not lose his job but the loss of licence would be a "considerable inconvenience".

He added: "This would appear to be an isolated but catastrophic error in judgement."

Sheriff Maxwell Hendry said the bottom line was Ramsay was in control of the vehicle but "you could not be in propoer control".

He added: "Even in a short distance, anything could happen."

Ramsay was disqualified for 16 months but can reduce that by four months if he completes a drink drive rehabilitation course. He was also fined £400.