A DISTRICT nurse caught more than twice the legal drink-drive limit had just found out her long-term boyfriend had an inoperable tumour, a court was told.

Burnley magistrates heard how Victoria Lancaster, 34, had the "ground taken from under her feet" with shock.

Lancaster, of Greenridge Close, Brierfield, gave a reading of 84 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - the legal drink-drive limit is 35.

She admitted driving with excess alcohol. She was fined £250, with £50 costs and banned for 20 months.

Andrew Robinson, prosecuting, told the court police received information on Bank Holiday Monday about a possible drink-driver and saw the Mini Cooper parked in Mosley Street, Nelson.

The defendant and a male walked to the vehicle. Officers could see both had been drinking as they were unsteady on their feet.

Lancaster got in the car and drove towards Every Street. She was stopped, police smelled drink on her breath and she gave a positive roadside breath test. She was then taken to the police station. The defendant had no previous convictions.

Jacqueline Rawstron, defending, said Lancaster had spent the weekend in Wolverhampton with her boyfriend of four and a half years who had been diagnosed with an inoperable tumour.

She had driven back in the early hours to go to work, had worked all day and had had nothing to eat. Lancaster then decided to order a takeaway and set off to drive for the meal after a couple of glasses of wine.

Mrs Rawstron said: "The shock of what her boyfriend had been diagnosed with over the weekend had taken the ground from under her feet."