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A pensioner caught drink-driving claimed she had to polish off a bottle of wine - in time for the recycling collection.

Sylvia Minicking, 67, was pulled over by police who saw her driving erratically on her morning shopping trip to Lidl, a court heard.

She gave an alcohol reading of 251 mgs of alcohol in blood - more than treble the legal limit of 80mgs.

She told police she had a bottle of wine left and the rubbish collection was due and decided to finish it off before getting behind the wheel.

Janice Bellamy, prosecuting, said: "At 9.30am on July 15, police were alerted to a Fiat Punto being driven erratically on Boldon Lane, in South Shields.

"They arrived at the Lidl car park and saw the defendant put her shopping in the car and drive off.

"They stopped her on Stanley Street and she gave a positive breath test."

Kevin Smallcombe, defending, told South Tyneside magistrates that Minicking had started to drink to excess due to problems with recent renovation work on her house.

She said: "Sometimes in this court you come across people who don't fit the usual criteria. She is a lady of 67, with no previous convictions.

"She is a thoroughly nice lady with a nice family who got herself in a right pickle."

"She accepts she was over the limit. She accepts she has been drinking more than she ought to."

He added: "There had been a bottle of wine left and the rubbish collection was due so she decided to finish it off.

"She knows it was wrong and foolish to do that."

Minicking, of South Shields, told the court: "I'm sorry. I've not had a drink of wine since. It's a wake-up call."

She admitted drink-driving and was banned for 26 months and fined £383.