A primary school teacher who knocked a female cyclist off her bike has been fined £300 for drink-driving.

Thomas Hannaway, 24, of Ash Green, Great Chesterford, was also ordered to pay £35 victim surcharge and £80 costs and disqualified from driving for 16 months after he pleaded guilty at Chelmsford Magistrates Court to driving with excess alcohol in his system.

Yesterday (Wednesday) the court was told that the offence happened around mid morning and that Hannaway had been drinking the day before and “only eaten a pizza”. He was said to have waited until around 10am to drive his car.

Prosecutor Angela Hughes said that at about 10am on September 15 police were called to an accident in London Road, Little Chesterford, where Hannaway’s silver MGF had left the road. A female cyclist had been knocked off her bike and suffered two broken ribs and a punctured lung. Hannaway gave a positive breath test at the scene.

Philippa Dyer, mitigating, said: “He’s devastated to find himself in court. He’d been out drinking with friends the day before and stopped at about midnight and only ate a pizza during the course of the day.

“He left a considerable amount of time before driving home to get ready to play football. He’s not a binge drinker.”

She said Haddaway had seen two cyclists and “slowed down to pass them”.

But she added: “He felt the car move to the left hitting the kerb and corrected by swinging to the right knocking off the cyclist.

“He stopped the car and ran over to see if she was okay before others attended and he was able to leave it to them.”