A CARLISLE woman has been given an 18-month driving ban after she drove on the A6 near the city while over the limit.

Catherine Davies, 33, of Castle Street, was almost twice the legal limit for alcohol when she was stopped by the police on August 23, the city’s Rickergate court was told.

She admitted drink-driving.

A test showed that while she was at the wheel of her Peugeot she had 179mgs of alcohol in 100mls of blood.

The legal limit is 80mgs.

After hearing the details, magistrates fined her £425 and told her she must pay £85 prosecution costs and a victim surcharge of £43.

She was offered the drink-driver rehabilitation course, which if completed by January 10 of next year will reduce the length of her ban by 18 weeks. The defendant’s guilty plea was taken into account, said magistrates as they passed sentence.