Applicant drink-drives to job interview... with the police

Next time you feel you've messed up in a job interview, take heart: you could have done worse.

The Greater Manchester Police force has shared the story of a man in his 50s who ended up with a driving ban for his pains.

The man applied for a support role, and was called in for interview late last month. During the general chit-chat at the beginning of the meeting, the interviewer asked him if he'd had any trouble finding the place.

The UK's worst job interview disasters
Drunk man's bid for world's worst job interview
Woman stages sit-in after being turned down for job

"As soon as he began to speak I could smell something on his breath which I was thought was stale alcohol," says the interviewer. "He mentioned that he did have a little trouble in finding somewhere to park, which immediately raised concerns."

Rather flummoxed, the interviewer went ahead with the interview, which lasted for about an hour - but then made an excuse to leave the room and get advice from a police officer on what to do next.

"I didn't want the man returning to his vehicle, given the obvious smell of alcohol. I couldn't live with myself if there had been a collision and someone ended up seriously hurt," the staff member explains.

When asked by a traffic officer whether he had been drinking, the main claimed only to have shared a bottle of wine with his wife the night before. However, he was breathalysed and found to be over the legal limit.

Late last week, the man was charged with drink driving, and given a one-year ban and a £235 fine.

"Although the circumstances surrounding this particular incident are unusual, this case highlights the fact that there are a number of motorists who think they are fine to drive after drinking the night before," comments Inspector Tony Allt of GMP's roads policing unit.

"If in doubt of your alcohol level, seek alternative travel arrangements."

It's unusual, to say the least, for a job interview to end up with an arrest; but it's not unheard of.

A couple of years ago, a San Diego man also turned up drunk for an interview - and when challenged about it, stabbed the interviewer in the arm.

More recently, a woman applying for a job in Manchester lost her temper after being told that she should have brought her passport, and staged a 90-minute sit-in until the police were called.

And in 2011, a man filling out a job application form at a shop was spotted stealing an item on his way out. Catching him was as simple as calling him back in for interview - where the police were ready and waiting.