MOTHER-of-seven Rosanne Smith was over the alcohol limit when she drove her seven-month old baby to a petrol station late at night to buy milk. A police officer who was paying for fuel at the BP garage noticed that Smith s breath smelled of alcohol – and

MOTHER-of-seven Rosanne Smith was over the alcohol limit when she drove her seven-month old baby to a petrol station late at night to buy milk.

A police officer who was paying for fuel at the BP garage noticed that Smith's breath smelled of alcohol - and she failed a breathalyser test.

Smith, 29, later admitted she was driving without a licence or any insurance cover for the Vauxhall Corsa.

"She needed to buy milk for the baby, she had drunk a couple of glasses of wine with dinner," solicitor Adam Haselhurst told Ely magistrates.

"Her partner was asleep and he was not in a position to drive to the garage, it would have taken her more than an hour to walk there.

"She realises she should not have taken the baby with her, but she was concerned about leaving the baby at home unattended."

Smith, of Walsingham Way, Ely, admitted driving with an alcohol reading of 52 mcgs of alcohol in 100 mls of breath, when the legal limit is 35 mcgs, and having no licence or insurance.

Prosecuting, Matthew Bradbury said a police officer went to the garage at 9.35pm on January 7 to put fuel into a police car. She had earlier seen Smith parked at the garage, on the phone. Smith took her baby out of the car and went into the shop, and was followed by the officer.

"The officer noticed that Smith smelled of intoxicating liquor and asked if she had been drinking, and she denied it," he said. Smith co-operated with a breathalyser test, and when it was positive, she was taken to Parkside Police Station in Cambridge.

Mr Haselhurst said the car had since been sold, so there was no further temptation for Smith to drive.

The court banned Smith from driving for 12 months and fined her a total of £200 with £50 costs and a £15 surcharge.