A VAN driver who flipped her vehicle after trying to answer a phone call while driving between Cowling and Skipton was over the drink-drive limit, magistrates heard.

A witness in a vehicle following Rebecca Wilton on the A629 at Cross Hills on the evening of May 17 described seeing the Mercedes Vito van mount the kerb, hit a wall and flip over, blocking half the road, Skipton Court heard yesterday.

Wilton, 28, of previous good character, told police she had drunk five pints of lager before getting behind the wheel, and that she had been distracted by a phone call and had lost control, the court heard.

Wilton was helped at the scene by members of the public, including an off-duty doctor, and did not require hospital treatment.

She provided a positive roadside breath test, was arrested and taken to Harrogate Police Station where she was found to have 48 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit is 35.

Wilton, of Woodland Street, Cowling, admitted to driving over the drink-drive limit.

The court heard in mitigation she worked in the leisure industry and part of her role was to know about safety risk.

Mitigating, Christabel Hallas said Wilton was very well thought of by her employers and would not lose her job.

She had walked to the pub in Cowling where she had seen her ex-boyfriend with her friend, had become upset, had gone home and ‘foolishly’ got into her van and driven towards Skipton, said Ms Hallas.

Following the incident, Wilton had returned to the scene and had cleared any remaining debris from the footpath, because it was in the way of cyclists and pedestrians added Ms Hallas.

Magistrates told Wilton they sympathised with her, but she had driven under the influence and the result could have been a lot worse.

She was disqualified from driving for 14 months, fined £275 and ordered to pay costs of £85 and a surcharge of £30. If she completes a drink drivers rehabilitation course, her ban will be reduced by 14 weeks.