A former Big Brother star and law student has been banned from the road and handed a hefty fine after being caught speeding while twice over the drink-drive limit at 3am.

Sarah Greenwood, who appeared in the reality TV show last summer, was hauled before the courts after being collared driving having downed two-and-a-half glasses of wine last month.

The 25-year-old was arrested on her way home from a Manchester nightclub on September 3 after being spotted driving at an 'excessive speed' at around 3am.

Greenwood, who is studying law at the University of Salford and has a five-year-old daughter, spoke of her shame at being arrested, but pleaded guilty to drink driving.

She complained that she would 'probably have to drop out of university' if she was handed an 'excessive' ban.

But her plea fell on deaf ears as magistrates hit her with a 17 month ban and £260 fine.

Greenwood, who lives with her parents in Heywood, Rochdale , was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £85 and a £30 victim surcharge.

She was nominated for eviction in the 16th series of Big Brother last year just six days in, but survived until day 18 when she became the sixth contestant to be booted out.

Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard that Greenwood was pulled over by officers on Victoria Avenue East in Blackley in her Citroen last month, smelling ‘strongly’ of booze.

She provided a positive breath test - 60 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, 35 being the limit.

When questioned, Greenwood, of Heywood, confessed that she had drank more wine than she should have done, but said she felt 'perfectly alright to drive'.

She said she left the nightclub when she found out her ex-boyfriend was there.

She told magistrates: “I am so embarrassed that this has happened to me.

“I don’t want to make excuses, but I was shocked that I was over the limit.

“I admit that I had drank two-and-a-half glasses of wine but I felt perfectly alright to drive.

“I was told my ex-boyfriend was in the club and I decided to leave.

“I am studying for a law degree, I don’t have a lot of financial help from my ex.

“If I get an excessive ban I will probably have to drop out of university.”

Last year Greenwood, who drove her car to court on Tuesday, was disqualified from driving for three months after totting up 12 points on her licence.

In pre-Big Brother interviews, Greenwood said she had been kicked out of school as a teenager and that her biggest achievement was passing the first year of her law degree.

She said she hated 'over-sensitive people' and didn’t like 'whinging', claiming she had 'thick skin'.

A self-proclaimed 'stuck up bitch', Greenwood said she styled herself on controversial columnist Katie Hopkins.

She said she aspired to have a 'nice apartment and loads of Louboutins' - and start her own law firm.