A TAXI driver has been banned from the roads after he was stopped for speeding on the M23 while almost twice the drink-drive limit.
Gary Verlander, from Horley, was pulled over by police after being caught travelling at 89mph at junction 10a (Maidenbower) of the M23 at 11am on June 27.
He told officers he was using his Vauxhall Astra to transport a piece of medical equipment to Spire Gatwick Park Hospital in Horley.
When he was breathalysed he had 68 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of his breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.
Verlander, of Riverside, pleaded guilty to drink-driving at Crawley Magistrates' Court last Thursday and was banned from driving for 17 months.
Verlander, 53, was also ordered to pay a £100 fine and a £20 victim surcharge.
Sergeant Carl Knapp of Sussex Police said: "Verlander is a professional driver so being banned from the roads could have a real impact on his life.
"There is no excuse for driving while under the influence of drink or drugs.
"We won't tolerate it and the courts have shown that just because you use your car for work they will not let people get away with it either.
"There is a hard core of people who continue to put themselves and others at risk by driving when they are in no fit state to and we will do all we can to get them off the roads to keep people safe."
If you know someone is driving while over the limit or after taking drugs call 999.