A WOMAN who was driving while more than double the legal alcohol limit has been banned from driving at Jedburgh Sheriff Court.

Mandy Hardy, 56, of Bowsden, Berwick-Upon-Tweed, pleaded guilty to driving with a breath/alcohol count of 49 microgrammes - the legal limit being 22 - on the A698 Hawick to kelso road near Denholm on August 19.

Sentence was deferred until November 11 for the production of background reports and an interim disqualification was imposed.

Graham Fraser, prosecuting, said:"It was 11.40pm and police officers were on duty on a country road in the Hawick area. They saw the vehicle was all over the road and the speed was erratic by speeding up and then slowing down.  

"The driver was pulled over and found to be more than twice the limit."

Defence lawyer Colin Severin said his client had been at a funeral the previous day for the loss of a dear friend and had been drinking over the course of the two days.

He added: "At the end of the two days she was overwhelmed and trieed but felt sober. She misjudged the situation."

Sheriff Murdo MacLeod noted two elderly previous convictions and deferred sentence for the production of a Criminal Justice Social Work Report.