A NURSE who smashed her car into a tree while almost three times the legal alcohol limit has been banned from driving for 23 months.

Rachael Siddle, from Churchtown Crescent, Bacup, was driving along Pennine Road on the way to buy more alcohol when she crashed her Peugeot 307, Burnley Magistrates’ Court heard.

Emergency services took the 42-year-old mental health nurse to hospital following the crash at around 8.30pm on September 16, where police took blood samples showing 230mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood in her system. The legal alcohol limit is 80mg.

The chairman of the bench said: “You must have realised when you got in that car that you were over the limit.

“Taking into consideration the fact nobody was injured and you are of previous good character, you will receive a fine of £600, a victim surcharge of £60, and must pay court costs of £85.”

Nick Dearing, defending, said the recent breakdown of a long-term relationship and the death of Siddle’s mother had led his client to turn to alcohol for comfort.

He said: “She began to drink more to cope and it began spiralling out of control.”

He added his client had never been in trouble with the law before, and had worked for the NHS for 16 years.

He said: “My client hasn’t touched a drop of alcohol since the accident and has been attending Inspire and Alcoholics Anonymous sessions.”

A spokesman for Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust said: “This is an extremely regrettable situation as the trust sets very high standards for its staff in terms of their conduct. Following the outcome of the court proceedings the matter will be dealt with in accordance with trust policies.”