Blue's Lee gets drink-drive ban

A member of Blue has been warned he faces jail if he breaks an 18-month driving ban imposed today after he admitted drink-driving.

Lee Ryan, 20, was nearly twice the legal limit when he "cut up" a police car in his Porsche at 4am on August 11, Tower Bridge Magistrates' Court in London was told.

He pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol and was fined £2,000 (€2,800) and banned from driving for 18 months.

He also pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention and was fined £250 and had his licence endorsed.

District Judge Stewart Black warned Ryan: "Do not be tempted to drive. If you are caught driving in the next 18 months you will go straight to prison. Do not even think about it."

Mr Black told him: "The cutting-up of a police officer is foolish and when drinking is irrational - indeed you were nearly twice the limit."

Ryan was stopped and breath-tested by officers after he cut in front of a police car at the junction of Tower Bridge Road and Druid Street in south London, UK. The breath test showed he had 69 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath - the legal limit is 35mg.

When the officer told Ryan he had cut across him, the singer replied: "Sorry, my bird was ringing on the telephone," said Neill Blundell, defending.

He told the court that Ryan was pulling over to avoid driving while on the phone and added: "He did signal, albeit late."

Mr Blundell said Ryan accepted he was "both foolish and irresponsible" and had asked for him to apologise on his behalf in open court. He added: "You often hear words such as remorse and contrition put forward in mitigation. His actions since being stopped show he is sorry for what he has done."