A man caught drink-driving while riding an e-scooter has been given a 19-month driving ban.

Unal Gokbulut was using the electric device when he was stopped and failed a roadside breath test near his home in Ipswich in the early hours of April 5, Suffolk Police said.

The 42-year-old admitted at an earlier hearing at Ipswich Magistrates’ Court to drink-driving while using the electric scooter.

Speaking through a Turkish interpreter, he said: “It’s correct. I’ve taken alcohol. I accept.”

He was given an interim driving ban and bailed, having initially denied a second charge of driving without insurance.

At a second hearing, on Tuesday, he admitted the charge of driving without insurance, a court official said.

The court official said the defendant was sentenced to a £250 fine and a 19-month driving ban for the drink-driving offence.

No separate penalty was given for the insurance matter.

Suffolk Police said Gokbulut, of Hilton Road, provided a breath test sample of 70 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – twice the legal limit of 35mcg.

E-scooters are treated as motor vehicles by the Department for Transport and are subject to the same legal requirement as other vehicles.

It is illegal to use a privately owned e-scooter on a public road, cycle lane or pavement in the UK.

The only place they should be used is on private land.

However, the Government has begun trials of e-scooters in approved rental schemes.