Jonathon Tyacke, 52, of The Thorns, Marlborough, pleaded guilty before Kennet magistrates in Devizes on Tuesday to driving with more than the legal limit of alcohol in his system.

Anna Humphreys, prosecuting, told the court that police officers, acting on information received, stopped Tyacke's Nissan pick-up close to his wife's home on the A346 at Cadley at about 9.45pm on October 3 after he had arranged to meet her.

At first he refused to provide a breath specimen and was arrested but later registered a level of 65 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being 35.

Julian Bailey, defending, told the court that his client had been under "ghastly matrimonial stress".

Tyacke was disqualified for 15 months but offered a drink driver's rehabilitation course. If completed, it will reduce his ban to 12 months. He was fined £1,000.