A MOTHER who was more than twice the drink-drive limit crashed her car into a ditch on her way home from her local pub.

The court heard Catherine Hall, aged 47, of Wants Green, Broadwas, who had been drinking lager, wedged her Blue Peugeot car into a ditch on the A44 near Knightwick at about 10.30pm on Friday, February 2.

Lesley Ashton, prosecuting, said: "Police attended reports that a car had crashed into a ditch at that location.

"The car was described as being wedged into the ditch with damage to the front driver side and wheel.

"The defendant is described as standing next to the vehicle. She identified herself to officers.

"She was asked to provide a roadside test which had a reading of 96 (microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath).

"She was arrested and taken to the police station."

"At the police station she was asked to provide specimens of breath - the lowest reading was 88 (microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath)."

Belinda Ariss, defending, said Hall, who has no previous convictions, had just ended a long term relationship and lost 1.5 stone over Christmas due to illness.

Mrs Ariss said she had gone to the pub for company as her children had been staying with their father.

She said: "She (Hall) thought she was fine to drive home and misjudged the bend."

Speaking on the ban, Mrs Ariss added: "It is going to have a huge impact as she lives in a rural area.

"It is several miles to the nearest bus stop. It is a three mile journey to get her children to school. She is currently relying on friends to take the children to school. She is taking taxis to and from work."

Hall pleaded guilty to drink-driving at Worcester Magistrates Court on Thursday, February 22.

Magistrates fined Hall £280, £135 prosecution cost and £35 victim surcharge.

She was banned from driving for 20 months.

She was offered a drink drive rehabilitation course, which if completed to a satisfactory standard will reduce her ban by 20 weeks.