A DRUG driver has been banned from getting behind the wheel for a year after being caught more than nine times the legal limit.

Carly Weller was stopped by police yards from her home in Churnwood Road, Colchester.

Henny Tatum, prosecuting at Colchester Magistrates' Court yesterday, said: "On November 17 police attention was drawn towards a green Skoda.

"The officers stopped the vehicle.

"A search of the vehicle was carried out and a piece of foil found which appeared to contain crack cocaine."

Weller, 42, was originally arrested on suspicion of possession of class A drug but was not charged with this.

Ms Tatum added: "Officers felt she may be under the influence and required her to provide a sample."

She was found to have Benzoylecgonine in her system.

This is the substance formed once cocaine is metabolised in the body.

She had a level of 475 micrograms of analyte per litre of blood.

The legal limit is 50.

Ms Tatum did tell the court there was "no evidence her driving was impaired" but did not then explain why the officer's attention had initially been drawn to the car.

Catherine Bradshaw, mitigating, said her father had recently died and the use of the class A was a one off.

She told the court Weller was likely to lose her job with a disciplinary hearing due in April, but declined to reveal in open court what job it is she does.

She said: "She took great pride in her job. She has mental health issues. She has sold her car.

"She wants to make clear her shame and regret.

"This was not her normal behaviour."

Weller was previously of good character.

District Judge Susan Holdham said: "It is quite difficult with all the medication she is on to be taking cocaine as well adding it to the mix.

"It is a very foolish decision to do that."

Turning to the defendant she added: "I have heard about the difficulties in your life.

"I understand how important your employment is to you and the fact you are likely to lose it."

She was disqualified from driving for a year, fined £350 and ordered to pay £120 in costs and charges.

Weller admitted the one count she was facing, which was driving a motor vehicle with a proportion of a specified controlled drug above the specified limit.