A drunk driver who was caught at the wheel in a village near Hitchin while more than three times the alcohol limit is now behind bars.

Paul French, 41, was jailed for 24 weeks after driving a Suzuki Swift through Pirton on July 4 with 118 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

French, of Bunyan Close in the village, pleaded guilty to drunk driving before Stevenage magistrates on Monday.

In addition to the prison term, he has been banned from the road for 28 months.

The bench, chaired by David Knight, considered the offence to be particularly serious as it was committed less than two months after French received a suspended jail sentence for two counts of assaulting a woman in February and April this year.

Mr Knight imposed an eight-week jail term, implementing the suspended sentences to bring the total up to 24 weeks.

French must also pay £85 costs and £115 surcharge.