A woman who climbed into the driver’s seat of a car out of  “misguided” loyalty to a friend has been slapped with a fine

Blackburn magistrates heard when police approached the vehicle in St Paul's Street, Blackburn, on August 24, Leah Volkert was behind the wheel and the engine was running.

She failed a roadside breath test, blowing 52 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath, the legal limit being 35mcg.

Volkert, 23, of Holmbrook Close, Blackburn, admitted to being in charge of a vehicle while over the alcohol limit and, on a separate occasion, being drunk and disorderly.

She was fined £240 with £85 costs.

Suzanne Byrne, prosecuting, said police saw a speeding Peugeot 207 in Blackburn town centre. They followed and stopped the vehicle in St Paul’s Street.

“They found the defendant in the driving seat with the engine running,” said Miss Byrne.

“She said she hadn’t been driving and had swapped seats with one of the other two people in the car.”

Jonathan Taylor, mitigating, said “Out of misguided loyalty to a friend she did a very silly thing and ended up being arrested for it.”