He was arrested and spent the night behind bars after Monday morning's accident and appeared from custody at Perth Sheriff Court yesterday afternoon.

Jarvis, 58, of Ramscraig Gardens, Larkhall, Lanarkshire, admitted driving an HGV while he was twice the legal alcohol limit in Tay Street, Perth, on July 19.

He was banned from driving on an interim basis and sentence was deferred for the preparation of community service, social background and restriction of liberty order reports until next month.

Solicitor Cliff Culley, defending, said Jarvis had been downing whisky the previous night and had been guilty of a morning after drink driving offence.

"He was driving the wagon from Cumbernauld to Dundee and had been drinking the night before. He stopped drinking at midnight and thought he was alright in the morning.

"He had been drinking whisky. He had no reason to be drinking to excess and he accepts he had too much, and that as a consequence he was twice the legal limit."

Worrying

Mr Culley added that Jarvis, who had a previously "impeccable" driving record, would lose his job as a result of being banned and would now struggle to find work.

Sheriff Michael Fletcher said: "I think it is a more serious offence. We are talking about a heavy goods vehicle and he was twice the limit. It is bad enough driving a vehicle, but driving an HGV at twice the limit is extremely worrying. We discovered why that is because of this collision."

The bridge was initially closed, but reopened later in the day with trains being allowed to crawl across it at five miles per hour.

Jarvis was driving a consignment of elastic bands for Dundee-based P.S. Ridgway in a 16 foot high lorry when he smashed into the underside of the 14 foot high rail bridge.

Tayside Fire and Rescue station manager Billy McLintock said: "The lorry opened up like a tin can."