A BRIDGWATER businessman was caught drink driving on the M5 without a front tyre, a court heard.

Ercan Gurlek, 26, was pulled over by a police officer after he was seen driving on the hard shoulder of the slip road of the motorway, in the early hours of November 3 last year.

Gurlek, who runs Deluxe Pizza, had already been banned from driving and was nearly double the legal drink drive limit.

Sedgemoor Magistrates' Court heard last Monday he had been driving southbound, between junctions 20 and 23, at such a speed that other drivers could not identify him.

The court heard he had a previous conviction for dangerous driving in January 2007 and had been disqualified for two-and-a-half years, with a requirement to do an extended driving test.

Magistrates were shown photos of the car wheel, which had been worn down to its hub.

Gurlek, of High Street, pleaded guilty to drink driving with 60 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, driving dangerously, driving while disqualified and using a vehicle without third party insurance.

Defending, Guy Adams said: “This has all the hallmarks of what could have been a very serious incident. Fortunately, on this occasion, there were no other cars involved. He was found on the hard shoulder after having driven some distance.”

Mr Adams put Gurlek's behaviour down to the stress of running his own business and working long hours.

Gurlek was committed to Taunton Crown Court for sentencing on March 14 and is banned from driving in the interim.