Lord Mayor's chauffeur banned from driving

An Ashtead man who was the Lord Mayor of London's chauffeur has been banned from driving for a year after being caught drink-driving behind the wheel of a Rolls Royce.

Michael Dore, 55, was driving the £200,000 car for Lord Mayor Ian Luder last month when police pulled him over and found he was over the drink drive limit.

The Caen Wood Road resident was given a 12 month driving ban and fined £585 after he admitted driving with excess alcohol at City of Westminster Magistrates Court today.

The suspension marks the end of Dore's 20 year career as a driver for the dignitary.

Valerie Sims, prosecuting, said police pulled the Rolls over on Cheapside in the City of London just before 11pm on Friday, March 13 because it had a faulty brake light.

She said: "They stopped him to have a talk, and smelt alcohol on his breath, and he appeared to be intoxicated. He failed a roadside breath test.

"He was taken to Bishopsgate Police Station and provided two samples of breath with the lower reading 54mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath."

Daniel Jones, defending, told the court Dore faced the "devastating" loss of his good character and career.

He said: "He had a good, well respected job, and he will find it difficult to find full time employment as a man of his age in today's economic climate."

Mr Jones said Dore was instantly dismissed from his £30,000-a-year job when he told his bosses what had happened. He has also been told by the Guild of Chauffeurs that he will never work with them again.

District Judge Nicholas Evans told Dore his ban would be reduced by three months if he completes a drink driving course.