PC admits drink driving at famous roundabout

PC Ted Andrews was breathalysed and arrested at the scene

A serving police officer has pleaded guilty to drink driving after being found over the legal limit on Swindon's Magic Roundabout.

PC Ted Andrews, 19, from Swindon, admitted the offence at Oxford Magistrates Court earlier, having been arrested following the incident on 20 September.

Andrews, who was off duty at the time, was disqualified from driving for 16 months and fined £250, and now faces an internal police disciplinary process.

Deputy Chief Constable Mark Cooper from Wiltshire Police said: "There is no excuse for PC Andrews' actions on that night, which put both himself and other road users at risk."

The force said Andrews, who is still in his probationary period, was suspended from duty two days after his arrest.

The court heard that at about 23:15 BST on 20 September, officers on patrol in Swindon came across a broken-down white Skoda at the junction, which is made up of five mini roundabouts encircling a central island

The Skoda, driven by Andrews, was thought to have collided with an object.

Wiltshire Police said the officers who attended suspected Andrews had been drinking and, when he was breathalysed, he was found to be over the legal limit and was arrested.

The force said an "accelerated misconduct process" will now take place.

"PC Andrews' actions undermine this work and the hard work of the overwhelming majority of officers who work tirelessly to protect and serve the people of Wiltshire," continued Mr Cooper.

"As a serving police officer, he should have known better and it is fortunate the consequences of his actions weren't worse."