THREE more motorists have been stripped of their licences after police caught them drink-driving on Wiltshire's roads.

Philip Blythe, 38, of Lyneham, Peter Stevens, 21, of Warminster, and Ryan Sims, 18, of Westbury, were banned from driving for a combined total of almost four years at Chippenham Magistrates' Court on Thursday.

Blythe, of Pound Close, was caught when he drove out of the Mallard pub's car park in Lyneham on October 7 at 7.20pm.

Michelle Hewitt, prosecuting, said tests showed he had 43mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath the legal limit is 35mg.

Defending himself in court Blythe said: "I have got no-one to blame other than myself. It's not something I usually do and stupidly I was over the limit.

"I only live a couple of hundred yards away from the Mallard and my intention had been to walk."

He was disqualified from driving for 13 months, given a £180 fine and ordered to pay £43 court costs.

Peter Stevens, 21, of Broxburn Road, was stopped by police on October 11 at 11.10pm.

Anwen Walker, prosecuting, described how a phone call to the police had alerted officers of Stevens' plans to drive home after spending the whole evening in a Boreham Road pub.

Officers asked unemployed Stevens if he had been drinking and he confessed to drinking about two pints. A test showed he had 42mg of alcohol in his breath.

Stevens, defending himself, said he totally understood he had committed an offence.

He was disqualified from driving for a year, fined £150 and ordered to pay £35 costs.

Ryan Sims, 18, of Gryphon Close, was disqualified for 20 months and given a £200 fine, with £43 costs, at his court hearing.

All three men pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol, driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence and driving with no insurance.

Police are building up to a Christmas and New Year crackdown on drink-drivers.

Last year 28 drivers were arrested in north and west Wiltshire during the festive blitz, an increase of six on 2002/2003 figures.

The Wiltshire Times and Chippenham News launched the Shame a Drink-Driver campaign in 2002. Our aim is to expose the motorists who selfishly endanger the lives of other road users and pedestrians by drinking and driving.