A Bonhill driver who narrowly avoided knocking down pedestrians at a busy crossing has been disqualified for 18 months.

Peter Longburn had to take evasive action after failing to stop at a red light in the centre of Alexandria.

Longburn, 35, appeared at Dumbarton Sheriff Court this week to face sentencing on a charge of driving without due care and attention, forcing both himself and pedestrians to take evasive action to avoid an accident, in Bridge Street on August 25 last year.

He had also pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to driving on Stirling Road in Dumbarton while unfit through drink or drugs on June 21, 2015.

Describing the June incident, fiscal depute Eoin McGinty said a member of the public had reported a car being driven into the car park of a cafe off the A82, and had seen the driver immediately slump over the wheel.

Police who went to the scene saw Longburn “clearly under the influence”.

Mr McGinty continued: “He was unsteady on his feet; he paused for long periods of time in mid-sentence; he was unable to focus his eyes, and his eyes were continuously rolling into the back of his head.”

Brian McGuire, defending, said a background report was now available on Longburn following a previous court hearing on July 7, and told the court of his belief that his client would be able to carry out unpaid work as a punishment.

Sheriff William Gallacher told Longburn: “You were clearly in no position to be driving a vehicle at all. You could have caused a catastrophe for yourself or someone else.”

On the careless driving charge, Longburn was banned for 18 months and told to carry out a hundred hours of unpaid work; on the other charge he was admonished but given a concurrent six-month driving ban.