A WOMAN who was more than twice the drink-drive limit smashed into a camper van and flipped it over in an early hours motorway smash.

Burnley magistrates heard how Joanne Heseldone, 37, apparently hit the van after speeding up the slip road on to the M65.

Heseldone, who has two previous drink-related convictions, admitted driving with excess alcohol.

The defendant, of Whitehall Street, Nelson, was fined £150 with £55 costs and banned for 20 months.

Sentencing, the magistrates told Heseldone she could have caused harm to others and she was lucky she didn't.

Stephen Parker, prosecuting, told the court that on March 26 police went to an accident on the eastbound M65 junction 12 at Brierfield.

A camper van was on its side covering two lanes and a Renault Clio was in front of it. The defendant said she had been driving the Clio and had no recollection of events.

He said it would appear she had been going fast on the slip road, had hit the camper van and flipped it over. Fortunately nobody was seriously injured.

The defendant was breath tested and the lower of two readings revealed 77 micro-grammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath the legal limit is 35.

Mr Parker said Heseldone had two previous convictions for being drunk in charge of a child.

Trevor Grice, defending, said Heseldone and her boyfriend had been out to the pub, they had gone to her home and had then argued.

The defendant, in a fit of temper, decided to leave the house and took the car just to get away.

Mr Grice said Heseldone stayed at the scene and did not try to make off. She co-operated with police when they arrived.