A FARMER was caught drink driving on a road cordoned off by police near the site of the Bosley explosion, a court heard.

Thomas Johnson, 64, told magistrates he had been at a party and had given a lift home to a friend when he was caught driving on Tunstall Road in Bosley.

He told police the road block was ‘inconvenient’, the hearing was told.

Tunstall Road had been cordoned off by police while an investigation is ongoing into the devastating explosion at Bosley wood mill in July.

When police stopped him on the road, Johnson, of Buxton Road, Bosley, was over the drink-drive limit.

Prosecuting at Macclesfield Magistrates Court, Debbie Byrne said: “The defendant was seen by an officer to drive through the road closed area.

“It was closed due to a crime scene and the officer was on traffic duty.

“The defendant was stopped and smelled of alcohol and gave a positive breath test.

“When asked why he was driving through the closed road, he said he was aware it was closed and that an investigation was ongoing but found it inconvenient.”

A breath test showed a reading of 47 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath, when the legal limit is 35.

He pleaded guilty to drink driving in his Mitsubishi Shogun on August 16.

Johnson, who defended himself in court, said: “It was a bad mistake.

“I’m not a drinking man, I never consume alcohol. I had drunk two pints in 10 years.

“But I was invited to a party and was struggling to get a taxi.

“We were up at the Wild Boar pub.

“A lad lost the plot a bit and started wandering about in the road when there were no street lights.

“I decided to pick him up and had dropped him off and was working my way back home, that was all. I’m guilty as charged your honour.”

Magistrates handed Johnson a £200 fine and banned him from driving for one year.

The chairman of the bench, Andrew Kerr, said: “That was an expensive inconvenience as now you are before the court for driving above the prescribed limit.

“You have besmirched your good character in that respect.”

Johnson must pay a £150 court charge, £85 costs and £20 victim surcharge.