Actor 'had a Christmas tree on his car'

Police say they pulled over the 77-year-old actor after he was seen drving in the breakdown lane with a Christmas tree tied to the top of his 1994 Subaru.

Torn, who has recently had a recurring role in 30 Rock, has pleaded not guilty to the charges and will return to court on January 28.

Connecticut police say they stopped Torn on December 14 shortly after he had left the White Hart Inn in the small town of Salisbury, where he lives.

They say he swore, refused to take a breathalyser test and failed part of a sobriety test, claiming the ground wasn't level enough.

In April 2007, Torn agreed to pay a $380 fine and give up his driving licence for 90 days after pleading guilty to driving while impaired in upstate New York.

Published: 6 Jan 2009