AN Amazon delivery driver overcome with the stress of the job was found drunk in charge of his van in Chester.

Reece Winn, 21, of Carfield, Skelmersdale, pleaded guilty at the first opportunity at Chester Magistrates Court on Friday, November 24 to the charge, which happened on Village Road, Waverton on November 3.

Prosecuting, Scott Woodward said a manager at Amazon had reported one of their drivers was missing.

Police located the Ford Transit van Winn had been driving and found him asleep inside. The lights were on the vehicle and the radio was on, playing very loud.

The officer shouted at Winn until he woke up and noted he was "unable to follow basic instructions".

Winn did not provide a roadside breath sample but gave a reading of 73 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath in custody, more than double the legal limit.

In police interview, Winn said he had parked up the vehicle a couple of hours earlier, and had then had a few drinks of vodka. He added he was going to phone a friend to get picked up.

He was of previous good character.

Defending, Selina Woodward said Winn, a carer for his mother, had been attacked and robbed last year by five men, and his mental health had declined.

On this day, he had between 150 and 160 pick-ups to make, he had no time to eat or take a break, was about halfway through "and something just snapped".

Winn went to the shop and bought a bottle of vodka, and had no intention of driving further, and had "every intention of leaving the van there".

Ms Woodward said Winn now wished to prioritise caring for his mother before getting back into a job.

Chair of magistrates Jeffrey Dodd told the defendant the job sounded "incredibly stressful" and "the pressure of it got to you", but "that did not excuse what you did".

Winn was handed a 56-day driving ban and fined £80, plus £120 court costs and a £32 victim surcharge.