Former England footballer Ray Wilkins has pleaded guilty to drink-driving.
The 59-year-old was spotted driving his Mercedes in the middle of a road straddling a bus lane along the A4 northern perimeter road in London on July 1.
Prosecutor Izolda Gribbin told Uxbridge Magistrates' Court that a member of the public “saw the driver striking a kerb on the road as well as drinking alcohol from the bottle while driving”.
She said: “The defendant attempted a U-turn and his vehicle came to a stop.”
Then the passer-by “to prevent an accident from happening, took his keys from the car”.
The former Chelsea and Manchester United star, of Cobham, Surrey, who was found to have 100mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath, pleaded guilty to drink-driving. The legal limit is 35mg per 100ml of breath.
A police car was flagged down and the officer noticed that Wilkins' eyes were “glazed, he was unsteady on his feet and there was a smell of alcohol coming from him”, Ms Gribbin said.
Wilkins, who has two previous convictions for drink-driving, is part-way through a residential rehabilitation course at the Priory Hospital in Woking, Surrey.
He spoke clearly from the dock to confirm his personal details.
Wilkins was capped 84 times by the Three Lions, including at the 1986 Mexico World Cup.
He played for AC Milan and Paris St Germain before going on to become a manager and coach for teams including Chelsea and Queens Park Rangers.
Press Association.
