A DRINK driver who was more than twice over the legal limit has been banned from driving for 23 months.

Sally Thompson, 37, was arrested after she collided with another car in the queue of a fast food drive-through restaurant in High Road, Pitsea, at around 10.40pm on October 28.

Thompson of Malwood Drive, Benfleet, failed a roadside breath test and was taken into custody where she was later charged with drink driving.

She pleaded guilty to the offence at Basildon Magistrates’ Court on November 29 and was disqualified from driving for 23 months and fined £1,152.

She was also ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £115 victim surcharge.

Adam Pipe, casualty reduction manager at Essex Police, said: “Sally Thompson admitted consuming alcohol before getting behind the wheel of her car.

“When breathalysed, she blew 90 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – more than twice the legal limit of 35.

“On the night of her arrest, she made the foolish and selfish decision to drive knowing she had consumed too much alcohol to do so.

“Luckily she was involved in a very minor collision in which no one was injured but the outcome could have been very different one.”

Essex Police launched its Christmas Anti-Drink and Drug Driving Campaign in partnership with the Safer Essex Roads Partnership on December 1.

This year’s campaign aims to target perpetrators and the friends and relatives who know about their offending by highlighting how it feels to deal with the tragic consequences of drink and drug driving through the eyes of police officers who witness them first-hand.

Adam Pipe added: “Drink and drug driving risks and ruins lives and tears innocent families apart.

“We don’t want you to know how it feels to deal with the consequences.

“Please help us keep the roads safe this Christmas.

“Please don’t get behind the wheel if you’ve been drinking and report drink and drug drivers to us by calling 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously.”

To follow the progress of the campaign, search for #howitfeels on Twitter, follow @essexpoliceuk on Twitter and go to facebook.com/essexpoliceuk

A total of 44 drivers have been arrested since the campaign launched on December 1.