Police have released video footage of the arrest of a nine-month pregnant woman who was caught drink-driving with a child in the car on the day before she was due to give birth.

Brooke Burton was stopped by officers as she drove her Vauxhall Zafira at Ringles Cross, Uckfield, East Sussex, during Sussex Police’s summer crackdown on drink and drug-driving.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: “The 26-year-old revealed that she was due to go into hospital the next day to give birth so instead of immediately arresting Burton, officers called an ambulance and she was taken to hospital to be assessed.

“In the car with Burton were two adults who appeared drunk and a young girl.”

The video footage shows officers speaking to Burton and explaining that an ambulance would be called to take her to hospital as they did not consider it appropriate to take her to the police station.

A breath test showed that Burton, of Nevill Road, Uckfield, had 45 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of her breath.

She pleaded guilty to drink-driving, driving without insurance and driving without a licence and she was banned at Brighton Magistrates’ Court from driving for 14 months, fined £255 and ordered to pay £235 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

Chief Inspector Phil Nicholas, of Sussex and Surrey roads policing unit, said: “The footage shows how our officers have to balance making arrests with ensuring suspects get the right medical treatment when they need it.

“As soon as they discovered that Burton was heavily pregnant they realised that she needed to go to hospital to make sure both her and her unborn baby were ok.

“Burton selfishly decided to get behind the wheel after drinking and put her life and the lives of other road users at risk. Even if she had not been drinking,

Burton should not have been driving as she had neither a licence or insurance.

“A minority of drivers continue to think it is ok for them to drive and drive. We need the help of the community to get people like that off the roads.”