A Tory councillor has been jailed for three months after being caught drink driving for the third time.

Bob Backhouse, 44, was jailed when magistrates decided he was a "serious danger" to road users after he was caught driving four times over the legal alcohol limit.

He was arrested after he stumbled from his car when police approached him, near his then home in Santa Cruz Drive, Eastbourne, on a Sunday morning in March.

Barry Hughman, prosecuting, told Eastbourne magistrates that officers noticed his Ford Granada with its brake lights on and engine running before Backhouse drove a short distance to a parking bay.

Mr Hughman said: "An officer went to the driver's side and spoke to the defendant. The driver got out of the car, smelt of alcohol, stumbled and his speech was slurred."

Backhouse, who resigned from Eastbourne Council after his arrest, was found to have 148 mcg of alcohol in 100 ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.

The court heard he was caught drink-driving on two successive nights in April 1996 and placed on probation for two years, and banned from the road for the same period.

But the following year he was back before the court for driving while disqualified and sentenced to 120 hours' community service with a further two-year ban and given eight penalty points for having no insurance.

Diane May, defending, said: "The excessive drinking had become something of a habit as a result of traumas going back to 1994.

Sentencing, chairman of the bench Gillian Caffyn said: "We believe you are a serious danger to other road users and this offence is so serious we must impose a sentence of imprisonment."

Backhouse was also disqualified from driving for five years.