A tourist coach driver has been banned from being behind the wheel after drinking brandy to keep himself awake.  

Selvaratnam Vigneswaran, 52, was stopped by police driving back home to Norwich in his car after a long shift at the wheel of tour buses in London.

He was pulled over on Newmarket Road on March 3 following reports his Vauxhall Corsa was “all over the road”. 

Norwich Magistrates’ Court was told he had refused to take a breath test at the police station but had failed at the roadside. 

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Vigneswaran, of St Johns Close, pleaded guilty to failing to provide a specimen. 

The court was told he had been a professional driver for 30 years but had been “very sleepy” following a long day which his coach had broken down.

Anthony James, mitigating, said: “He made the very foolish decision to buy a small bottle of brandy to keep himself awake." 

Magistrates banned him from driving for two years and ordered he pay fines and costs of £385.

He has also lost his professional licence and will have to pass a ‘fit and proper’ assessment before being able to drive a coach again.