A WOMAN has been banned from driving for five years after being caught drink driving three times in just over two months.

Zara Amjad, 34, was also jailed for 22 months, suspended for two years, after admitting the charges.

Amjad, of Alwen Avenue, Huddersfield, was stopped when she drove onto the A1 near Boroughbridge, ignoring road closure signs after the road had been closed due to high winds in January.

She had previously been arrested in Huddersfield last November and on the M62 near Rochdale in December. On both occasions she was over the drink-drive limit.

Kirklees magistrates heard that on the night she was stopped in North Yorkshire, the police were dealing with a number of serious weather related incidents including overturned and stranded HGVs on the A1.

The motorway had been closed to prevent further incidents and to protect those working to recover the stranded vehicles.

Despite the presence of a police car with blue flashing lights, Ms Amjad drove along the closed section of the motorway and headed straight for a piece of collapsed barrier that was protruding into lane three before she was stopped.

Traffic Constable David Minto said afterwards: “Ms Amjad is very lucky that she has only had to face the court on drink-driving charges.

“The consequences of her behaviour could have been deadly both for herself and other road users, not to mention the emergency services and highways’ officers who were working to clear the closed road.”