A man suspected by police of drink driving has been jailed and given a lengthy driving ban of more than five years after he crashed his van into a telegraph pole.

Christian Cole, aged 33, admitted failing to provide a specimen of breath for analysis after driving a vehicle when he appeared at Weymouth Magistrates Court.

His appearance in court on Monday of this week followed a crash the day before in which police said a van crashed into a pole, blocking the A352 between Wool and Wareham.

The pole was knocked over as a result of the crash at East Stoke on Sunday morning and the road had to be closed for most of the day. The local authority also attended and electrical engineers were contacted.

Cole, of Higher Wood, Bovington, was jailed for 18 weeks by magistrates and ordered to pay £85 costs.

He was disqualified from holding or obtaining a licence for 62 months.

Magistrates said the sentence reflected the seriousness of the offence, given Cole's record of previous offending.