Police car 'escapade' earns ban

Police put Bergin in the back of their marked patrol car

A Scottish motorist has been banned from driving for three years for driving off in the patrol car of officers who were trying to give him a breath test.

A sheriff told Patrick Bergin, from Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, that he could have caused chaos by his "escapade".

A constable and a probationer police officer had stopped Bergin after they spotted him driving his car repeatedly round a traffic roundabout.

There was a strong smell of drink from inside the vehicle, so they put Bergin in the back of their marked patrol car, while they waited for roadside breath-testing equipment to arrive.

'Complete aberration'

Shortly afterwards they heard the "clunk" of the central locking on their car, and Bergin - who had climbed into the drivers' seat - made off at speed.

A frantic search followed, involving a police helicopter, to try and trace the missing car and suspect.

Bergin's lawyer told Airdrie Sheriff Court it had been a "complete aberration", but Sheriff Ian C Simpson told Bergin "we can't have people suspected of drink driving running round in police cars".

The 34-year-old, who is unemployed but hopes to get a job as a nightclub bouncer, was ordered to pay off his £450 fine at £10 a week.