A TEENAGER from Helensburgh has been caught drink-driving - before being old enough to legally buy alcohol and without having a full licence.

The aspiring mechanic, who can't be named because he is under 18, was three and a half times the legal limit in town last month.

He pleaded guilty in court to four different offences under the Road Traffic Act, including driving under the influence of alcohol.

The 17-year-old was stopped in Cairndhu Avenue in the early hours of Sunday, February 4.

In addition to drink-driving, he also admitted driving without insurance and driving without L plates and without a qualified driver in the car while only being a provisional licence.

Prosecutors accepted the teen was not guilty of driving the vehicle without the consent of its owner.

Fiscal depute Euan Nicholson told Dumbarton Sheriff Court that police had had reason to stop the vehicle being driven by the teenager at about 1.30am.

Officers detected a smell of alcohol from him, and subjected him to a roadside breath test. 

A more formal breath sample later gave a reading of 77 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath.

The limit in Scotland is just 22 microgrammes.

Defence solicitor Judith Reid said her client was a first offender and had had a clear driving record prior to the incident.

"He had been hoping to pass his test shortly," Ms Reid said.

"He tells me this was a moment of stupidity.

"He immediately made clear to the police he never should have done it."

She said her client was training and had "shown promise" to become a mechanic.

Ms Reid added: "He has shown remorse. It's going to have a knock-on effect. It's the first time he has been in front of the court and it's not something he wants to repeat."

Sheriff Maxwell Hendry said: "You're a very young man to be standing in the dock. You were three and a half times the legal limit."

He said that at that level, it was in the "lap of the gods" what could have happened - he could have been stopped by the police, or by a brick wall.

The sheriff added: "I hope a very strong and good lesson has been learned."

He banned the teenager from driving for 16 months. He can reduce that by four months if he completes a drink driver rehabilitation course.

The boy was fined a total of £440 plus a £20 victim surcharge.