A NURSE who drove erratically was found to be more than twice the drink-drive limit.

Sian Lucy Jones, 25, was banned from driving for 22 months when she appeared at Flintshire Magistrates Court.

Jones, of Merllyn Lane in Bagillt, was fined £400 with £85 costs and a £40 surcharge.

She admitted driving with 86 microgrammes of alcohol in her breath compared to the legal limit of 35.

Prosecutor Rhian Jackson told the Mold court police saw her driving a Vauxhall in Shotton High Street at 1.50am on May 6.

It was being driven erratically, was swerving in the road and almost collided with a traffic island.

She turned left into Plymouth Street where police indicated to her to stop and she did so.

Officers noted front end damage to her vehicle and she said that occurred a number of hours earlier but was vague about it.

Her speech was slurred, she smelt strongly of intoxicants and a roadside breath test was positive when she blew a reading of 85 microgrammes.

At the police station at 2.50am she blew a reading of 86.

Dafydd Roberts, defending, said it was a particularly sad day for his client because she was a woman of good character. References spoke very highly of her.

That night she had been to a friend’s house and she had intended to take a taxi home but for some reason which she could not explain she got into the car and started to drive home.

She believed she struck a lamp-post when she drove off which accounted for the damage to her headlight.

There was only damage to her car and thankfully no-one else was involved.

When she left college she had gone to university and had started working for the health service in North Wales, said Mr Roberts.

A driving ban would have an impact on her because she went out to see people in the community.

“She accepts it is her own fault and that she should not have driven,” he said.

District judge Roger Lowe said he accepted that it was a rash, spur of the moment, decision to drive.

It was out of character but he had no choice but to impose a driving disqualification.

“I also have to take into account the high reading,” he said