A 40-YEAR-OLD engineer stopped and breathalysed on his way to work at 8.30am was four times the legal drink drive limit.

Blackburn magistrates heard that Russell Hacking blamed persistent heavy drinking for the "exceedingly high" reading.

And the court was told that alcohol had already broken up his family, bringing heartache to him, his wife and, most significantly, his eight-year-old son.

Hacking, of Hardman Street, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol. He was remanded on bail until February 24 for the preparation of pre-sentence reports.

Phillipa White, prosecuting, said Hacking was stopped for a routine document cheque in Bolton Road, Darwen, and the officers noticed his breath smelled strongly of alcohol. A subsequent breathalyser test gave a reading of 139 against the legal limit of 35.

Basharat Ditta, defending, said his client was a man with no previous convictions who was employed as an engineer and had been in his current job for the last 11 years.

"He accepts that in recent years there has been a problem with alcohol and that he is an alcoholic," said Mr Ditta.

"He says it has caused tremendous suffering for him, his wife and their son.

"It has lead to him being separated from his family and he is now living with his mother."