A MAN crashed his car head-on into another vehicle while almost five times the drink-drive limit.

Robert Hutchinson, 59, was spotted by a member of the public driving his Nissan Almera erratically on the A281 heading towards Horsham at 5.45pm last Friday.

As the witness phoned police to describe what he could see, Hutchison veered off the road, overcorrected and crashed head-on into a Ford Ka heading south on the road at Mannings Heath.

The Ford span around and the Nissan ended up in bushes.

The driver of the Ford, a 42-year-old woman from Plummers Plain, suffered slight injuries. Hutchinson was not injured.

When police arrived they found Hutchinson still sitting behind the wheel.

He was breathalysed and found to have 169 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millitres of his breath – almost five times the legal limit of 35 microgrammes.

Hutchinson told police he had been drinking for several hours at home on Friday afternoon but had decided to go shopping for food and then crashed his car.

He had already served a ban for drink-driving after being convicted in 2009 and did not have a driving licence.

Hutchinson, of Fir Tree Close, Plummers Plain, was arrested, questioned and later charged with a number of offences.

He appeared at Chichester Magistrates' Court on Monday (February 2), where he pleaded guilty to drink-driving, driving without a licence and driving without insurance.

He was released on bail to appear at Crawley Magistrates' Court for sentencing on 23 February.

Superintendent Jane Derrick, the head of roads policing in Sussex and Surrey, said: “Hutchinson was not hurt and fortunately his victim only suffered whiplash and bruising but both could have been seriously hurt or even killed.

“While alcohol has an impact upon an individual's decision making, Hutchinson would have been aware that he shouldn't have driven on that day but nonetheless made the decision to do so.

“Drink-driving will not be tolerated and we have officers out every day looking for and arresting motorists whose selfish behaviour puts people at risk.

“I would like to thank the member of the public who realised Hutchinson was putting people in danger and called us.

“On another day we might have been able to stop and arrest Hutchinson before the accident happened so I would urge anyone who has similar suspicions about motorists to contact us immediately.”

People in Sussex can text officers on 65999 with the details of people they suspect of drink or drug driving or visit www.operationcrackdown.co.uk.

You can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.