A student drove while more than twice the drink drive limit because he did not have enough money for a taxi home.

Mohammed Hamid was stopped by police in Cowley Road, Oxford at 3.50am on December 4, a district judge was told.

Hamid, of Ridgefield Road, Cowley, had 78 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. The limit is 35 micrograms.

Catherine Scammel, defending, said the 20-year-old had been out in the city with a friend.

She said: “They discovered they had both run out of money, they didn’t have any phone credit. He made what he describes as a stupid decision to drive home. In retrospect he should have just walked.”

The student admitted drink driving and was disqualified for 18 months, which will be cut by four months if he completes a driving course. He was also fined £100 and told to pay a victim surcharge of £15 and prosecution costs of £85 at Oxford Magistrates’ Court.