A DRINK driver with one lung told a judge he has cancer and may not live to complete the awareness course.

Trevor Ford of Brook Meadow, Wychbold, near Droitwich admitted driving with excess alcohol when he appeared at Worcester Magistrates Court on Thursday.

The 60-year-old widower was stopped driving his Peugeot 407 in Cross Furlong, Wychbold on March 11.

Nicola Ritchie, prosecuting, said he was stopped by a police mobile patrol on the A38 but the defendant was unable to provide a breath sample at the roadside .

Miss Ritchie said: "He said he was unable to do because he suffers from COPD and only has one lung.

"After several unsuccessful he was taken into custody where a blood sample was obtained."

The reading was 120mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood, over the drink drive limit of 80mg.

The defendant had one relevant previous conviction for drink driving from 2013 when he was given a 12 month ban.

Because it is his second drink conviction within 10 years, the minimum disqualification for the new offence is three years.

District judge Nigel Cadbury said: "It's really serious to commit a second offence so soon after the first. Do you think you have a drink problem of some kind?"

Ford said he had only recently lost his wife who had died of a heart attack at the age of 46 and had three young children.

He said: "I've just been diagnosed with lung cancer which is quite aggressive."

Ford said he had four pints of weak lager with lemonade, knew the officers were there, but did not consider he was over the limit.

"I felt I was safe" he told the district judge.

The district judge banned him from driving for three years and fined him £150 and ordered him to pay £135 costs and a £30 victim surcharge.

District judge Cadbury warned him that driving while disqualified was a serious offence and could result in a prison sentence.

He also offered him the drink drive course which he must pay for himself and which will reduce the length of his ban by a quarter if he completes it by June 9, 2021.

Ford said he would like to do the course but added: "I might not be here to pay for it."