Woman was almost five times legal limit when forced to stop

A DRIVER was so drunk that passing police thought she was having a medical episode and were forced to use their own vehicle to bring her to a stop.

- SARA NICHOL Reporter

Rebecca Spencer was nearly five times the limit when she decided to get behind the wheel and make the 40-mile trip from her home in Wooler in Northumberland to her work in Gosforth in Newcastle.

The 33-year-old, who had drunk a bottle of spiced rum, was then seen by police travelling along the A697, between Longframlington and Longhorsley, in Northumberland.

They became so concerned by the standard of her driving that they thought she was suffering a medical episode.

A court heard that Spencer then drifted on to the other side of the carriageway and appeared to be "leaning over the steering wheel" before officers were forced to use their vehicle to bring her to a slow and safe stop.