Peter Shilton claims to be unable to pay £1,000 fine in one go

The former England goalkeeper Peter Shilton was today ordered to pay immediately the £1,020 fine he was given after being found guilty of drink-driving at Colchester Magistrates' Courts, despite claiming he wanted to pay in instalments because of the divorce he is currently going through.

Shilton was driving a 2010-registered Jaguar XF near the home of his girlfriend Stephanie Hayward in Essex when he was caught by an anonymous tip-off to police. He had been at a family celebration drinking but did not believe he was over the limit.

"As police were speaking to a woman at the address, Mr Shilton pulled up behind the police car," the prosecutor Joseph Stickings said. "The officer spoke to him and could smell alcohol on his breath. He was tested and provided a positive breath test."

The court heard he was found to have more than double the legal amount of alcohol in his system when he was breathalysed on 24 February. He was banned from driving for 20 months, warned by Magistrate Ilona Perkins-Van Mil that he could face custody if he breached the ban and was ordered to pay the fine in full before leaving the building.

Paul Tawn, mitigating, said Shilton would find it difficult to pay any fine because his finances were "complicated" as he is currently going through a divorce and selling his house.

He said: "He'd had a very pleasant day at a family celebration and had consumed wine with meals throughout the day. He had gone to move his car closer to his partner's address because he had an early start. He didn't travel far, just a couple of streets, and wasn't driving very quickly at all.

"He was aware he had consumed alcohol but it was throughout the day so he did not think he was over the limit – if he had, he would not have pulled up behind the police officer."

Shilton, who was capped 125 times for England, said as he left court: "I've nothing to say, really, just that I had a very fair hearing."