German governor retracts drink-drive claim

The beer-loving governor of Bavaria was forced to climb down after claiming that some people can drive safely after drinking four pints.

Police and political opponents criticised Guenther Beckstein’s remark that “if one drinks the two litres over six or seven hours at the Oktoberfest, it is still possible” to drive. The Oktoberfest, Munich’s annual celebration of beer-swilling, opens on Saturday.