10-year-old drove drunk father home

Police stop car to find young boy behind the wheel and his father in the passenger seat

A FATHER is facing up to a year in prison and a €15,000 fine for letting his 10-year-old son drive him home after an evening out.

Police say the 40-year-old lorry driver from Lèves, near Chartres, was too drunk to get behind the wheel and handed the keys to the boy.

Officers followed the car on Saturday evening after they spotted it travelling very slowly, meandering along the road and frequently stalling.

They found the young boy behind the wheel and his drunk father in the passenger seat, who was two times over the legal alcohol limit for driving.

Chartres police superintendent Patrick Meynier told TF1 News: "The child could not even reach the pedals. No one here has ever seen a case like this before."

Investigators believe it is not the first time that the boy had driven his father home.

The 10-year-old was cautioned by police and his father placed in police custody. His driving licence has been confiscated.