A lorry driver who ignored a road closed sign and ended up stuck in a ditch has been jailed after checks revealed he was more than three times the drink drive limit.

Romanian national Lucian Postelnicu, 47, was caught out after officers were called to a damage only collision at just before 4pm last Monday (December 7).

Police attended the scene on Wennington Road, Abbots Ripton, where they discovered an HGV pulling a refrigerated trailer which was stuck in a ditch.

Postelnicu, the driver, had also ignored a road closed sign and as a result of becoming stuck had blocked a diversion route.

Postelnicu initially climbed out the wrong side and into the ditch before going back in the lorry and exiting from the side where officers were.

Police noted he was unsteady on his feet and smelt of alcohol. Officers also discovered a one litre bottle of vodka in the lorry which was nearly empty.

Once arrested and taken into custody he provided a sample of 130 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath – more than three times the legal limit of 35 microgrammes.

In police interview Postelnicu admitted drinking 300g of vodka throughout the course of the day – including some just 30 minutes before becoming stuck in the ditch.

He claimed to have “terrible tummy pain” and had therefore had “shots” of the vodka to alleviate this, adding that he believed it was just a short while until he would be parking the HGV.

Postelnicu claimed he had ended up stuck in the ditch as he had swerved to avoid another lorry, but that it all happened so quickly that he had no details or description of the other vehicle.

He was charged with drink driving and sentenced at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (December 9) after pleading guilty.

Magistrates jailed him for 14 weeks and disqualified him from driving for three years.

PC James Thompson, who investigated, said: “Postelnicu’s excuse for drink driving beggars belief. The reality is, there is no excuse and doing so risks lives.

“The sentence imposed in this case should serve as a stark warning to others who get behind the wheel after drinking or taking drugs. It’s really not worth the risk.

Postelnicu’s sentence comes as the force supports a national campaign cracking down on drink and drug drivers this December.