A WOMAN praised by her local MP as an ‘unsung hero’ for her daily fancy dress runs around Silsden during lockdown has been given a community order after being found drunk, slumped in her car.

Mary Taylor, 38, was found outside her home by police, in the driver’s seat of her car with two, partially drunk bottles of alcohol beside her on the passenger seat, heard Skipton Magistrates Court.

She had gone to a friend’s house, and intending to stay the night, had drunk a bottle of wine, but there had been an argument and she had ‘impulsively’ decided to drive home, the court heard yesterday (Friday).

Police had received reports of a driver who had gone into a petrol station at Cross Hills at 9.50pm on February 24 and who had appeared unsteady on her feet and smelling of alcohol. Police traced her to her home address as the registered keeper of the car.

Taylor had to be helped out of the car and because of the state she was in was unable to provide a roadside test, the court heard.

She was arrested and taken to Harrogate Police Station where she was physically ill several times. After composing herself, she was asked to provide a sample of breath, but refused to do so. She also refused to say whether there were any medical reasons why she could not carry out the test, and was released from the police station at 9.45am the next day.

The court heard she also had a previous conviction for drink driving in 2006.

Taylor, who admitted failing to provide a specimen of breath for analysis was previously living in Silsden but now lives at Red Holt Drive, Keighley,

In mitigation, Keith Blackwell said she was an inspiration to her community and read out several letters applauding her attempts to cheer everyone up with daily runs around Silsden wearing fancy dress during last year’s coronavirus lockdown.

They included a letter from Keighley and Ilkley MP Robbie Moore who in a letter to her in May last year thanked her for everything she had done to ‘put a smile on people’s faces’ , describing her as an ‘unsung hero’ and going 'above and beyond' for her community.

Others, including Silsden Gala, thanked her and described her as an ‘inspiration’ and there had also been a letter from staff at Airedale Hospital thanking her for her fundraising efforts.

Another described Taylor as a ‘compassionate and committed young person’ who had run several miles every day for charity’, while more than 550 people had wanted her to be named ‘Cobbydaler of the year’.

Mr Blackwell said Taylor, who had two jobs, a mobile hairdresser and a casual worker at a swimming pool, was ‘clearly a lady of kindness and a great contributor to her community’.

He said she was distraught at what had happened and at the time had been suffering from stress and depression. Her relationship with her mother had broken down, and she had had to move away from her old address, but was now trying to pick up the pieces of her life.

The court heard in a pre-sentence report, that Taylor had in the past been in an abusive relationship and was still coping with the aftermath. About 18 months ago , she had been drinking at least one bottle of wine a day, but was now drinking just one a week. Her ability to work would be severely impacted by the loss of her licence.

Magistrates commended Taylor for her community work and hoped that the sentence would help her get back on the straight and narrow.

She was given a 12 month community order, with 15 rehabilitation requirement days and 40 hours unpaid work. She was also banned from driving for 17 months which will be reduced by 17 weeks if she completes a drink drivers rehabilitation course. She will also have to pay costs of £85 and a surcharge of £95.