A Newtown St Boswells woman was more than SEVEN times the legal limit when breathalysed by police at her home after being suspected of drinking and driving.

But when Mary Anderson was taken to the police station she refused to give breath samples claiming she was unable to do so.

She also told police that after driving home from a local supermarket she had been drinking out of a vodka bottle before police turned up.

Anderson, who is 53, had a breath/alcohol count of 158 microgrammes - the legal limit being 22 when first breathalysed by police at her home in Newtown St Boswells, after she had been spotted driving home from the  Co-operative store.

The incident happened around 7pm in the evening and she told police she was an alcoholic.

But when she was taken to Hawick Police Station to complete the procedure she refused to provide samples.

She pleaded guilty at Jedburgh Sheriff Court to failing to provide two breath samples last May.

Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said that there was an inch missing from the top of a vodka bottle when police arrived at her Roxburghe Place home.

Defence lawyer Ed Hulme said Anderson had held a driving licence for 30 years.

She was disqualified from driving for 17 months and fined £230.