A POLICE officer is due in court tomorrow (Friday) accused of drink driving.

It is alleged that PC James Hayward gave a positive roadside breath test on the A358 near Taunton last month, according to police.

Hayward is due to answer the charge relating to the incident on March 12 when he appears at Taunton Magistrates' Court.

According to details of an accelerated Avon and Somerset Police misconduct hearing due to take place next Wednesday (April 21), it is alleged that while on duty he have left the force HQ in his own vehicle "having been suspected of consuming alcohol".

After allegedly giving a positive breath test after being stopped by a roads policing officer, he was arrested and taken to Bridgwater Custody Centre.

There it is claimed he gave two more positive tests and was bailed to appear in court tomorrow.

A notice of next week's planned misconduct hearing says: "If proven, the allegations would amount to gross misconduct."