A man who admitted drink driving on an electric scooter in Norwich has avoided a driving ban.

Tyrone Drane, 26, was spotted by police riding an electric scooter on Larkman Lane on June 13 last year.

He was arrested and found to have 144 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 50.

Drane, of Cadge Road, Norwich appeared at Norwich Magistrates Court on December 23 last year when he pleaded guilty to the charge of driving a vehicle above the legal alcohol limit.

That hearing heard the scooter was not the defendant's and belonged to a friend he had been drinking with who had encouraged him to ride it.

The case was adjourned for a "special reasons" argument to decide whether or not Drane would be disqualified as a result of his guilty plea.

Following a court hearing on Thursday (August 5) city magistrates decided not to disqualify Drane by reason of a finding of special reasons.

Ian Fisher, who represented Drane, argued that, at the time of the offence, there was "considerable uncertainty" about the legal position of e-scooters as government guidance was only published in July 2020.

Mr Fisher said Drane had relied upon the assurance of the owner of the scooter that there was no legal restrictions regarding its use.

He also told the court Drane had only ridden the e-scooter for a short distance and at low speed.

No disqualification was imposed by city magistrates by reason of finding of special reasons in respect of Drane who they felt had given a frank and honest account of what had happened.

He was however fined £400, ordered to pay £105 costs and a £40 victim surcharge.

Mr Fisher said Drane was "pleased and relieved at the outcome".

The court had previously heard there was no suggestion that Drane rode the scooter in such a way as to cause risk to anyone at the time.