Claire Ross, 34, was so drunk as she drove down the M62 motorway’s hard shoulder she had a sick bag on the seat beside her and believed her daughter was still in the back seat, although she was not.

Liverpool magistrates court heard she was spoken to by officers, who noticed an ‘overwhelming’ smell of alcohol, on a routine patrol after parking up having suffered a blown tyre.

Ross, from St Helens, Merseyside, who was of “exceptional character” was also backed by a personal reference from her godfather, crown court judge Howard Crowson.

She was banned for three years after admitting driving with excess alcohol. 

The court heard on Tuesday how tests found she had 156 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath in her system.

The legal limit is 35mcg.

Prosecutor Lynn Clark explained how officers spotted her white Lexus at 9.20am on November 4, noting her front nearside tyre was shredded.

Ms Clark said: “The officers went to speak to the defendant to see if they could offer any assistance. 

“They immediately noticed an overwhelming smell of alcohol, her eyes were bloodshot and glazed, and she was slurring although she denied drinking.”

The court heard Ross was so drunk she indicated her daughter was in the back seat, only for police to find no one there.

Ross was arrested and later clarified that her husband had picked up the child while she waited for the help of breakdown services.

She admitted downing three bottles of wine the previous evening but claimed she felt fine to drive the next morning. 

Neil Davies, defending, said his client was of “exceptional character” and “devastated” by the incident.

Mr Davies added: “What we have here is a ‘morning-after’ case. This is not a case in which Mrs Ross consumed significant amounts of alcohol at the local pub then got in her car and drove home.”

Ross was handed a 10-week prison sentence suspended for 18 months and ordered to complete five days of rehabilitation with the Probation Service.