Man loses licence after drink-driving in toy Barbie car

A man who was caught drink-driving in a toy car with a top speed of 4mph has been banned from driving. Paul Hutton, 40, was pulled over by police as he drove an electric Barbie car, which moves slower than a mobility scooter, near his home in Essex. Mr Hutton, who has four children admits being a 'complete twit'

Speaking after the hearing at Colchester magistrates court, he said: "You have to be a contortionist to get in, and then you can't get out. I was very surprised to get done for drink-driving but I was a twit to say the least. It is designed for three-to-five-year-olds. I'm not unhappy with my punishment, just a little bit surprised."



Appearing before magistrates last week, he admitted driving the toy car while drunk. He was given a mandatory three-year ban because he had received another drink-drive ban within the past ten years. Magistrates also gave him a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered him to pay £85 court costs.

Chairman of the bench Neil Munson said: "This is most unusual. I have never seen the like of it in 15 years on the bench. The vehicle is not even capable of doing the speed of a mobility scooter and could be outrun by a pedestrian. Taking this into account, we feel we can impose a sentence of a conditional discharge for a period of 12 months."