Lord Mayor's chauffeur is banned for drink-driving

THE Lord Mayor of London's chauffeur was today banned from the road after being caught drink-driving in the mayoral Rolls-Royce.

Michael Dore, 55, was stopped in Cheapside by police ending a 20-year career as a professional driver. He has already been sacked from his £30,000-a-year job.

Dore was at the wheel of Lord Mayor Ian Luder's £200,000, 6.25-litre Phantom VI. The 20ft limited edition vehicle - with the number plate LM0 - has been owned by the Lord Mayor's office since the Eighties. The court heard that Dore was initially stopped at 11pm on a Friday night last month by police because of a problem with one of his brake lights. The officers smelt alcohol on his breath and he failed a roadside breath test.

Dore, of Ashtead, Surrey, today pleaded guilty at City of Westminster magistrates' court to driving with 55mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood. The legal limit is 35mg.

District Judge Nicholas Evans disqualified Dore for 12 months, fined him £500 and ordered him to pay a further £15 victims surcharge and £70 costs.