A MOTORIST who was more than three times over the drink-drive limit has been ordered to carry out 180 hours' unpaid work by magistrates.

Ruth Raper, 53, who admitted drink-driving and being drunk in charge of a child, was also banned from driving for 26 months.

Raper was stopped from getting into her car, which had a bottle of Vodka in it, on the afternoon of January 6, after a concerned member of the public alerted a police officer.

She had already drunk one bottle, was unsteady on her feet and had two children with her at the time, the court was told.

She admitted she had been driving and had the car keys in her possession, said prosecutor, Martin Butterworth.

She had 117 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Raper, of previous good character, was embarrassed by what had happened and had been referred by her doctor to drug and alcohol dependency support group, Horizons.

In mitigation, Paul Fitzpatrick said Raper had been candid and co-operative with the police from the start, telling them she had been driving even though she was not in the car at the time.

She had gone into Skipton shopping, had bought the Vodka and drunk it during the day before heading off in her car without realising how much she had consumed, Mr Fitzpatrick added.

Raper, of Hazlewood in Bolton Abbey, near Skipton, was given a 12-month community order to cover both offences, with 180 hours' unpaid work and ten days' rehabilitation activity days. She must pay £85 costs and a £60 surcharge.