A disqualified drink-driver has been jailed for taking his partner’s car without permission or insurance – and while over the limit.

Nigel Dunne admitted drink-driving, driving while disqualified, driving without insurance and taking a vehicle without the owner's consent at Suffolk Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.

The 59-year-old also admitted breaching a suspended prison sentence imposed in February for drink-driving while disqualified.

Dunne was pulled over in his partner's Kia Magentis on the southbound carriageway of the A12 at Yoxford on Tuesday.

He had 86 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - the legal limit being 35mcg.

Prosecutor Ian Devine said police were alerted by a member of the public concerned about Dunne's manner of driving.

"He was more than twice the legal limit and shouldn't have been driving the vehicle anyway," added Mr Devine.

Dunne, of Fir Lane, Lowestoft, told the court he had consumed a lot of alcohol the night before, but very little food in the meantime because he was suffering from severe back pain.

He said he regretted drink-driving but failed to see why he needed permission to drive a vehicle he bought for his partner.

"As to whether you see fit to be lenient is entirely up to you," he told magistrates.

The court heard that Dunne had already served jail time before receiving a suspended term with requirements attend meetings with the probation service.

Dunne said: "It's fairly obvious prison hasn't done that much for me over the years.

"I've accepted I have a drink problem and kept up with probation appointments - unless I've asked to postpone them because of my back."

Dunne said he had also asked to continue seeing substance misuse services.

Magistrates activated six weeks of Dunne's suspended prison sentence and imposed another eight consecutive weeks for driving while disqualified.

They also imposed eight weeks to run concurrently for drink-driving and another four weeks to run concurrently for taking a vehicle without the owner's consent.

They banned Dunne from driving for 36 months and imposed no separate penalty for driving without insurance.