A pensioner who was banned from driving for drink-driving has failed in his attempt to win back his licence early.

Alexander David McKaig, of The Quay, Port St Mary, was banned for three years in November 2017 after he was found to be more than twice the drink-drive limit.

On Tuesday the 75-year-old applied to have his licence restored 11 months early but High Bailiff Jayne Hughes rejected the application.

Prosecuting advocate Rebecca Cubbon said that 75-year-old McKaig was banned after being arrested in August 2017.

A shopkeeper in Port St Mary reported McKaig entering the Co-op at 6.15pm on August 29 to buy alcohol. The witness said McKaig was smelling of alcohol and he had watched him drive away in a Mitsubishi Shogun.

He failed a breathalyser test with a reading of 84. The legal limit is 35.

He said when he had arrived home from the Co-op he had immediately drunk the bottle of wine he had just bought.

Aan expert’s report at that time said that McKaig’s account ’lacked credibility’.

On Tuesday, McKaig represented himself and said that the ban caused difficulties in that he had to rely on his wife to drive and it restricted him being able to drive to visit family in Belgium with his dogs.

He reiterated that he had drunk the wine at home and didn’t think he was over the limit.

McKaig said that he had driven for more than 60 years without any other incident.

However, Mrs Hughes told him that the restoration of the licence was based on the facts as accepted in 2017, and that he should have taken up any issues at the time or appealed the decision.

The High Bailiff said the three-year ban imposed was the minimum for the reading of 84.