A BIRTHDAY celebration for Simon Joseph O'Hara ended with a bang when he crashed into three cars parked on the car park at Burlington's restaurant in Ribchester when he was more than three times the legal drink drive limit.

Blackburn magistrates heard that he had merely intended to move his own car closer to the restaurant, prior to taking a taxi home.

O'Hara, 24, of Cumeragh Lane, Whittingham, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol, without due care, and failing to stop after an accident.

He was ordered to complete 120 hours community service, disqualified from driving for 30 months and told to pay £55 costs.

O'Hara, who gave a reading of 119 against the legal limit of 35, agreed to be referred to the drink drivers rehabilitation programme which, if completed successfully, could result in a 25 per cent reduction in his ban.

Joanne Shahzada, prosecuting, said that after colliding with the other vehicles O'Hara abandoned his car in the middle of the car park and went back into the restaurant.

Jonathon Taylor, defending, produced evidence from a taxi driver to show that he had been booked to take O'Hara home that night.