A woman who was working as a driving instructor has been banned from driving for 18 months after being found drug driving.

Fabienne Taylor, 31, of Kingswood Chase, Leigh, was driving a black Ford Fiesta, which had a driving school board on its roof, at the junction of the A127 and A130 from Rayleigh to Southend when she was stopped by police officers at around 2.55pm on Thursday, April 27.

The officers had been given information that she may be driving under the influence of drugs and proceeded to perform a roadside drugs test which indicated she may be over the prescribed limit for drugs.

She was arrested on suspicion of drug driving and taken to Southend police station where a blood sample was taken and sent away for further testing.

When the test results came back, they indicated she had had cannabis and cocaine in her system and Taylor was charged with drug driving.

At Southend Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, October 19 she was banned from driving for 18 months, fined £100 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £30 victim surcharge.

Sergeant Martin Allen, from the Casualty Reduction Unit, said: “Drug driving is completely unacceptable.

“It slows your reactions and could lead you to have a crash where you or someone else is seriously hurt or even killed.

“I find it hard to believe anyone would want to take that kind of risk with their safety.

“I find it particularly galling in this case as Fabienne Taylor was meant to be responsible for learner and inexperienced drivers and should have known better.

“Her actions were reckless and I am glad she will be off our roads for the next 18 months.”