A PENSIONER with an unblemished driving record for almost half a century has lost her licence after police found her slumped in her car with a wine bottle.

Burnley magistrates heard how Kathleen Elizabeth Peters, 74, slurred her speech, but claimed she had had only half a glass.

Peters, said by her solicitor to be "nearly hysterical" after she was taken to the police station, was disqualified from driving for 12 months, fined £400 and must pay £40 costs, after admitting failing to provide a specimen of breath for analysis.

The bench told Peters, of Coldweather Farm, Coldweather Avenue, Nelson, that before she drove again, it might be useful to arrange refresher lessons and check with her GP if it was reasonable and safe for her to do so.

Linda Fordham, prosecuting, said police were alerted by a witness, concerned about the defendant's driving. They went to her home and found her slumped in the driver's seat of her stationary car. The engine was not running.

Officers noticed the smell of alcohol and the defendant moved a wine bottle from a footwell. Her speech was slurred and a breath test proved positive. At the police station attempts were made but failed to obtain a breath specimen on the intoximeter.

Peters admitted she had had half a glass of wine before driving and said she had had three glasses the previous day which could have contributed to the reading. She had difficulty recalling the route she had taken home.

Trevor Grice, defending, told the court he had been at the police station on another matter when Peters was brought in. She had been very, very distressed and nearly hysterical.

She had been driving for 47 years, never had so much as a parking ticket and emphatically denied a bottle of wine had been in the car. She said it was water.

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