A BASINGSTOKE man who was more than triple the drink drive limit crashed his van into a roundabout outside a police station, a court has heard.

Nigel Griffiths was behind the wheel of a Vauxhall van despite never having sat a driving test and was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.

Police officers rushed out of the station where they found the 49-year-old with "fairly significant facial injuries" after he hit his head on the windscreen.

The out-of-work builder, who has only just moved to Basingstoke from Birmingham, pleaded guilty to drink driving, and driving without a licence or insurance.

Prosecutor David Fossler told the court that Griffiths, of Tweedsmuir Close, was involved in a crash on December 13, 2019.

His Vauxhall hit a roundabout on the A339 in Newbury town centre, and after being rushed to hospital, a blood sample was taken which revealed he had 168 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood - more than triple the drink drive limit.

Significant damage was done to the roundabout.

Mr Fossler said: "Whilst Mr Griffiths has some old driving matters back in 2009 and 2006, there are no qualifying offences.

"[He was] quite open with the police, and accepted that he has never taken a driving test and as a result concedes there was no valid policy of insurance."

Sentencing Griffiths, District Judge Timothy Pattinson fined him a total of £190, and banned him from driving for 18 months.

He must also pay a victim surcharge of £32 and £35 in costs.