A MOTHER caught drink-driving on two consecutive days doing the school run has escaped a prison sentence.

Mother-of-two Ginette Louise Taylor, 39, of Oxcroft, Kirkbymoorside, was given an 18-month community rehabilitation order and disqualified from driving for three years at Scarborough Magistrates Court, where she admitted two charges of drink-driving.

Dawn Birkett, prosecuting, said that at 3.10pm on January 7 Taylor spoke to police officers at Piercy End, Kirkbymoorside, about an abandoned car.

"While talking to her they smelled alcohol on her breath and noticed she had car keys in her hand," said Mrs Birkett. "A short while later they saw Mrs Taylor get into a Ford Sierra."

The officers stopped Taylor and a roadside breath test was positive. Mrs Birkett said that on her arrest Taylor said: "But what about my children? I was going to pick them up from school."

A further test showed she was almost three times the legal alcohol limit, with 96 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

She was charged and released on police bail to appear at court five days later.

At 3.40pm the following day officers saw Taylor driving along the A170 at Kirkbymoorside with two young children. They stopped her, and she was again almost three times the drink-drive limit, with 90 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.

Clive Caddy, for Taylor, said: "It is rather mystifying as to why a 39-year-old lady with two lovely children who is happily married should drive while over the limit on two consecutive days.

Updated: 10:28 Thursday, February 05, 2004