A GROUNDSWORKER newly arrived in the UK from Poland has received an interim driving ban until an interpreter can explain to him in his own language the details of a longer period of disqualification.

Slawomir Wojciech Stojda, 26, of Truscott Avenue Swindon, appeared before District Judge Simon Cooper at the town’s magistrates court on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to a charge of drink driving on May 27 this year.

Pauline Lambert, prosecuting, told the judge a member of the public had seen a man at McDonalds at the North Orbital shopping centre staggering over to his van. Once at the wheel he collided with a barrier at the car park and the police were called.

An intoxilator reading at the police station recorded an alcohol level of 91 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

Sambreen Arif, defending, told the judge that Stojda worked as a groundsworker for a company in Birmingham which had moved him to Swindon.

He had only been in the country for two months but the laws were the same in Poland and he knew he should not have been drink driving.

The judge said he would impose an interim driving ban until a Polish interpreter could make sure Stojda understood that he could not drive and the community was protected.

The case was adjourned until 10pm on Tuesday, June 20.