A JUDGE made sure a mother of two didn't get behind the wheel again after she repeatedly drove while banned -- by taking her car.

The move by district Judge John Sawyer was today welcomed by police and a motoring group, who said tougher action was needed to prevent people ignoring driving bans.

The judge forced Alison Johnson to forfeit her £1,000 vehicle and would not let her out of custody until it was in a police pound. He then freed Johnson "because of her children" even though he had been considering a "lengthy" jail sentence.

Johnson, who has a child of two and a five-week-old baby, had committed her third offence of driving while disqualified and had offended on bail.

The judge said: "I need to have that car in a police compound. You are not going to use it again."

Johnson, 35, of Cutler Lane, Stacksteads, admitted driving while disqualified and not having insurance. She was given a 12-month conditional discharge at Burnley Crown Court.

Commenting after the case, Sgt Colin Hudson, of Rossendale police, said the judge's action was extremely unusual, but it was the best thing to do and would help Johnson in the long run.

Edmund King, chief executive of the RAC Foundation, the campaigning arm of the motoring organisation, said: "This is certainly an unusual step but having said that more and more drivers are disqualified and ignore that disqualification. We would say that if someone has offended and re-offended and are not listening to the courts then this sort of punishment fits the crime. This should act as a warning to all disqualified drivers."

About 7.30am on Thursday, police were told of a car being driven in "suspicious circumstances" in Stacksteads. When stopped by officers it was discovered Johnson had been banned for a year at Rossendale Magistrates Court on August 7 and had been given an 18-month community rehabilitation order after being convicted of two counts of driving while disqualified.

Carl Gaffney, defending, said he expected the court would take a dim view of Johnson's behaviour but he added: "Hope springs eternal." She found the convenience that a car provided too irresistible to ignore, albeit unlawful. Johnson, who was the sole carer for her children, had been going to to the shop to get milk.