Coronation Street star Chris Gascoyne admits drink-driving

Coronation Street star Chris Gascoyne today admitted drink-driving.

The 39-year-old actor - who played love rat Peter Barlow in the popular soap - had drunk three and a half pints of lager after playing Captain Hook in the panto Peter Pan in Llandudno on December 30.

He was stopped by traffic officers as he drove away from a nightclub in a Ford Fiesta and was breathalysed.

Today, after losing his licence for 12 months and being given a £500 fine at Llandudno Magistrates' Court, he apologised to his fans and said he would like to return to the show which made him famous.

Gascoyne, dressed in a black suit and tie and cream leather shoes, said: "I made a mistake.

"I admitted it then and I admit it now and I got what I expected.

"I made a stupid mistake and I would never do it again. I'd never drive after even half a pint now.

"On the night I was arrested I think I'd had about three and a half pints - but that was over quite a considerable few hours.

"I just want to say I apologise and I have to put it down to experience.

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"I didn't tell anybody at the theatre about what had happened because nobody needed to know but people in a small place do tend to find out.

"To an extent this will affect me but it's not the end of the world. "I will have to use the bus again."

The father of three will attend a drink-drive awareness course which reduces the driving ban to nine months.

The star of BBC1's New Street Law had 48 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood when he was stopped by the police at 2.30am.

The legal limit is 35 micrograms.

His solicitor, Roger Thomas, told the court that married Gascoyne was shocked to discover he was over the limit.

Sentencing, District Judge Andrew Shaw, said Gascoyne was of previous good character and had been entirely co-operative with the police.