A WOMAN who drove a vehicle without a full licence while under the influence of alcohol in Welshpool has been banned from driving for 24 months.

Danielle Georgina Harvey-Newns, of Bentley Lane, Walsall, pleaded guilty to the charges at Welshpool Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.

Helen Tench, prosecuting said: “The manager at Morrisons was made aware of a female slumped in the driver’s seat of a vehicle in the car park.”

Ms Tench said that when approached, Harvey-Newns had put the vehicle in reverse and revved the engine without moving.

She then drove forward into a sign and reversed around the car park.

Ms Tench told the court that Harvey-Newns had tried to exit the car park but it was blocked by an ambulance.

The attending police officers took a roadside breath test, recording 95 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the limit is 35.

Owain Jones, for Harvey-Newns, said she had been driving from Llanidloes to Walsall as there had been a birth in the family.

He said she had clipped the curb and this had shocked her so she stopped for a drink to calm herself.

He added she did not recall how much she drank and that she suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and a borderline personality disorder.

Mr Jones added she has held a provisional licence for the past five years.

Along with disqualifying her from driving, magistrates gave Harvey-Newns a 12 month community order along with 60 hours of unpaid work and 10 days of rehabilitation activity.

She was also ordered to pay £85 costs and an £85 surcharge.