A FLORIST who was nearly three times the drink-drive limit when she was stopped on the A65 near Chelker Reservoir has lost her licence for two years and must also carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.

Prosecutor Nadine Clough said the police had been alerted to the defendant, Grace Wilson, 38, of Scothern Close, Barnoldswick, by a member of the public who said there was the possibility a driver on the A65 near Draughton was under the influence of drink on April 17 this year.

Police saw the Toyota Yaris was stopped at a roundabout at 12.15am. Wilson was at the scene and was unsteady on her feet. There was some damage to one of the wheels on the car.

She was found to have 99 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

The bench was told Wilson had been out with her boss in Ilkley during the afternoon and evening and her friend had gone along.

Skipton magistrates were told the trio had gone out around Ilkley at 3pm and then gone back to her bosses house at around 10pm and were spending the night there.

Her friend had woken up alarmed that the boss, who she was not familiar with, had locked the house doors.

Representing Wilson, Mo Hussain said his client had had an argument with her friend. She had made the reckless decision to drive home after not having the money for a taxi.

The court was told her friend had refused to get into her car and had followed in a taxi behind.

Probation officer Andrew Watson, who had prepared a stand-down report, said Wilson told him she did not drink on a regular basis, possibly once or twice a year and on special occasions. She was remorseful and regretted her actions and it was deemed there was on a low risk of reoffending.

The single mother of a 15-year-old son was also training to be a spiritual healer and suffered from anxiety.

She worked part time as a florist in Ilkley and was likely to lose her job because of the impracticalities of getting there.

As well as the ban and 12 month community order, magistrates ordered Wilson to pay a surcharge of £95 and court costs of £85.

She could reduce her driving ban by 24 weeks if she successfully completed a drink-driving rehabilitation course by September 19, 2023.