It's the cat's fault, says Swann

England bowler Graeme Swann told the Police who stopped him for drink-driving that he had to go out to buy screwdrivers to rescue his trapped cat, a court heard on Monday.

England bowler Graeme Swann told the Police who stopped him for drink-driving that he had to go out to buy screwdrivers to rescue his trapped cat, a court heard on Monday.

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The 31-year-old spinner had been out with friends when he returned to his Nottinghamshire home and discovered his pet trapped under the floorboards, he told police.

He said he then got in his Porsche Cayenne and was driving to a supermarket in the early hours of April 2 when he was pulled over, Nottingham Magistrates' Court heard, the Press Association reported.

Police constable Steven Denniss said he decided to pull Swann over because he was driving a high-performance car in an area where there had been a spate of burglaries.

"Swann stated he had been out that evening and had come back to find his cat trapped under the floorboards in his house. He had gone to Asda to fetch some screwdrivers to remove some floorboards," Denniss told the court.