A MAN who was nearly five times the drink-drive limit, and so intoxicated that police officers had to hold him up, has been jailed.

Jaswir Dhillon, who runs a fish and chip shop in Hartlepool, was followed by police who saw him driving erratically in North Road, Darlington. The car was swerving to the centre of the road and back, creating sparks when it banged into the kerb, a court heard.

The 44-year-old father-of-three's Mitsubishi Shogan narrowly avoided parked cars on the busy road, and the officer behind him considered getting out of his car at traffic lights so he could take away the keys. But Dhillon drove off before he could do it, Darlington Magistrates' Court heard yesterday.

He was stopped and arrested shortly afterwards.

David Maddison, prosecuting, said: "His reaction when he was stopped was, 'I've had a good Saturday night.' He couldn't stand without police assistance when getting out of the vehicle."

The court heard Dhillon's reading was 163mg of alcohol in breath when he was tested at the police station following the incident on November 27.

The limit is 35mg.

Dhillon had previous convictions for drink-driving and driving while disqualified, and had been given a suspended sentence for driving while disqualified in 2008, the court heard.

Paul Green, mitigating, said the defendant was a hardworking business owner, who was providing for his three children, two of whom were at university.

"He tells me he finds himself in this position after he had gone to view a vehicle and spent some time with a friend and consumed some alcohol.

He had slept for a while and thought he was okay to drive, " said Mr Green.

Dhillon, of Viola Close, Hartlepool, pleaded guilty to drink driving. He was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison.