A WOMAN drove without insurance because she wanted to visit her mother in hospital, a court heard yesterday.

Pamela Nadine Sanderson, 21, of Audrey Grove, Darlington, appeared before South Durham Magistrates in Darlington and admitted driving without insurance or test certificate and failing to produce her licence.

Sanderson said: "On the day I felt I had to drive because my mum was in hospital and I was trying to get to the hospital. She was suffering from a blood clot in the leg and had to have it amputated from the top. At the time I was panicking. I had to drop my daughter off, and get to the hospital for when my mum woke up."

Magistrates fined her £90.