A SINGLE mother over twice the legal alcohol limit had foolishly driven just 300 yards and put her employment at risk, a court heard.

Burnley magistrates were told how auxiliary nurse Simone Louise Sutcliffe, 30, had gone to her car to collect some compact discs and for some reason she couldn't explain, got behind the wheel.

Sutcliffe, of Carr Road, Colne, admitted driving with excess alcohol and was fined £150 with £55 costs and banned from driving for 18 months. Andy Robinson, prosecuting, said in the early hours police spotted the defendant driving her car without lights on.

When the vehicle was stopped, Sutcliffe was unsteady on her feet and her speech slurred. A roadside breath test proved positive and the lower of two samples at the police station showed 84 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 mililitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Bill Berry, defending, said Sutcliffe had no previous convictions, was appearing in court for the first time and was deeply ashamed.

She had been out for the evening with her boyfriend and drove to the pub intending to leave her car there. Her boyfriend lived near the pub and she was going to walk home with him.

Mr Berry said the defendant had something to drink in the pub, went to the car to get some CDs and for some reason foolishly and stupidly got into the vehicle and drove about 300 yards to her boyfriend's home.