Proms chief’s remorse over driving shame

Daniel Cuffe, a co-director of Cuffe and Taylor, told police who tracked him down that on a scale of drunkenness from one to 10 he was a 10.

Cuffe, 26, of Osborne Road, St Annes, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol.

Cuffe created the highly successful Lytham Proms whose stars this year included Rita Ora and Russell Watson.

He was fined £1,000 with £85 costs plus £100 victims’ surcharge and disqualified from driving for 23 months by Blackpool magistrates.

Presiding magistrate, Michael Bryan, told him: “You could have seriously injured or killed someone.”

Tracy Yates, prosecuting, said a number of witnesses called police saying Cuffe was driving his Mercedes on Wood Street, St Annes, after drinking on August 16 about 10.30pm.

The door supervisor at the Toast Bar, St Annes, had seen Cuffe drive up and park on double yellow lines.

Cuffe was described as being too drunk to be served at the bar and escorted out.

Police found the Mercedes in nearby Orchard Road and Cuffe in the bar, where he had returned.

A breath test showed 94 micrograms of alcohol in his body - 35 is the limit.

Cuffe told police he had been to a wedding.

Philip Trotter, defending, said Cuffe, who had no previous convictions, was extremely remorseful and a highly productive member of society who often worked 18 hours a day.

Cuffe’s business had started with the Save Lytham’s Lowther Theatre Campaign

The defence described Cuffe as a man of integrity and community spirit who had intended taking a taxi home, but made the worse decision of his life when he decided to drive and added: “This is literally a once in a lifetime mistake for him.”