THE driver of a car which ploughed into a pub causing thousands of pounds worth of damage has admitted he had been drinking.

Cesar Zuniga Pena had 91 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood when the accident happened at Fir Tree, near Bishop Auckland, County Durham.

He also admitted he had been on his mobile telephone at the time, did not have a full driving licence and was driving the Mecedes Vaneo without the permission of his girlfriend, who owned the vehicle.

Pena, 29, of Longfield House, Hamsterley, County Durham, escaped injury after the car left the A68 road, crashed through a wall and ended up embedded in the bar area of the Fir Tree Inn, last month.

He appeared before Bishop Auckland magistrates yesterday where he pleaded guilty to drink driving, driving without a licence, aggravated theft and dangerous driving.

Clive Booth, mitigating, said that Pena, who comes from Peru, had been playing a concert with his band in Durham before going to Newcastle.

He had been accompanied by a qualified driver going to the gig, but had driven from Newcastle to Hamsterley to see his girlfriend afterwards.

"He admits this was an error of judgement," said Mr Booth.

Mr Booth said Pena had gone to great lengths to co-operate with police, despite having to fly to Peru after the death of his 20-year-old brother, a week after the accident.

Magistrates referred the case to crown court for sentencing.