Saido Berahino: West Brom striker banned after admitting drink-drive charge

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Saido BerahinoImage source, Getty Images
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Saido Berahino has scored 14 goals in all competitions this season for West Brom

West Brom striker Saido Berahino has been banned from driving for 12 months after pleading guilty to drink-driving.

Berahino, 21, was travelling at 110mph when he was stopped by Cheshire Police near junction 20 of the southbound M6 in the early hours of 22 October.

He was found to have 101 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood - the drink-drive limit is 80 mg.

North Cheshire Magistrates in Runcorn fined Berahino £3,400 and offered him a drink-driver referral course.

If he completed the course, it would reduce the length of his ban to nine months.

The striker's excellent form this season earned him a call-up to the full England squad in November but he did not play in matches against Slovenia and Scotland.

His court case, originally scheduled for 19 January - the same day as the Baggies are due to meet Everton in the Premier League at Goodison Park - was brought forward late on Thursday.

The BBC understands that Berahino will be fined by West Brom under its usual disciplinary procedures - the maximum permitted being a fortnight's wages.

With the case having been dealt with before the scheduled Monday hearing, he is now likely to play that night at Everton.

West Brom will not be making any comment on the matter.

Berahino, who came to the UK from war-torn Burundi as a child, signed a new three-and-a-half-year contract with the Premier League club in December 2013.

The England Under-21 international has scored 14 times in 25 appearances for the Baggies this season, and has been linked with a big-money transfer, external to a top Premier League club.

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