Councillor banned for drink driving (From Stroud News and Journal)

Councillor banned for drink driving

COUNTY and district councillor Stephen Glanfield has been banned from driving for 20 months after being caught at the wheel of his Jaguar while more than twice over the alcohol limit.

Coun Glanfield, 60, had been celebrating news that his engineering firm had clinched a new contract prior to the offence on November 30 last year.

The former district cabinet member for finance and corporate services, of Burleigh Lane, Minchinhampton, admitted his guilt at Cheltenham Magistrates' Court on Friday.

Prosecutor Adrian Foster explained how he was caught by police on Rodborough Common after leaving a meeting in King's Stanley.

A community safety officer was alerted to the fact he may have been drink-driving and called the police after noticing him indicate the wrong way onto the A46.

He was found to have 78 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - the legal limit being 35.

Mark Linehan, for the defence, admitted Mr Glanfield had fallen from grace.

"Somebody in the public eye really has to set an example and he knows that," he said.

"Mr Glanfield is a man who has fallen from a rather large height in these proceedings.

"He has lost in every way his dignity in this matter."

Coun Glanfield had no previous convictions, he said, adding that he had acted out of character after celebrating with colleagues at his engineering firm Pointflame Services.

"The company is heavily in debt. It relies on very small, specialist contracts with the Government," he said.

"On the day in question, they were waiting for news on that. Good news came after months of stress and they decided to go to the pub."

Glanfield was also fined £250 and must pay costs of £55.

He resigned his post at Stroud District Council and as chairman of Gloucestershire County Council's community services and corporate performance scrutiny committee after his arrest.