A drink driver was looking for a hotel with his children in the car in the early hours of Boxing Day when he was stopped by police, a court has heard.

Nathan Garofalo, 41, was caught driving a VW car on Norwich Street, Dereham, while above the legal limit for alcohol.

Norwich Magistrates Court heard there were children in the back of the vehicle when Garofalo was stopped by police at about 1.30am.

Anna Crayford, prosecuting, said police pulled Garofalo over after seeing him failing to indicate and being inconsistent with his speed.

The court heard Garofalo failed a roadside breath test before he was arrested and taken to the police station where he was found to have 45mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath.

The legal limit is 35.

Garofalo, from Northampton, pleaded guilty to a charge of driving with excess alcohol when he appeared at court on Thursday (December 30).

Representing himself in court, he said: "It was Christmas - I made a stupid mistake."

He said he had never drunk and driven before and normally got a taxi but had stopped drinking a couple of hours before he got in the car with his children.

He said he didn't know the area very well and was looking for a hotel.

Garofalo was banned from driving for 14 months by city magistrates.

He was also fined £80, ordered to pay £105 costs and a £34 victim surcharge.

Also appearing in court after being charged with drink driving was James Minns, 48, who was caught driving a Mercedes C320 car on Norfolk Street, King's Lynn while above the limit on Christmas Eve.

He was found to have 69mcg of alcohol in 100mls of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Minns, of Harewood Parade, Lynn, pleaded guilty and was banned from driving for 18 months.

He was also fined £120, ordered to pay £105 costs and a £34 victim surcharge.

The defendants were arrested as part of Norfolk police's Christmas drink and drug drive crackdown.

The annual campaign, which launched on December 1, has seen police hammering home the message that ‘one or two’ extra drinks could kill.