A MOTORIST was nearly five times the legal booze limit when caught behind the wheel of a car.

Lorna McLeod, 44, was driving in Port Glasgow when she was stopped by police officers in the town’s Brown Street on 13 February. Subsequent test results showed that she had exactly 100 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

The legal limit is 22 micrograms.

McLeod had been facing the prospect of having her red Vauxhall Corsa — for which she still owes £4,000 in finance — forfeited as a result of the offence.

It is understood that she has a previous conviction for drink driving.

Prosecutor Kevin Doherty said: “The court is still entitled to forfeiture given the high reading and the accused’s record.” Defence lawyer Derek Buchanan said: “She now recognises that there is a significant underlying difficulty here.

“She attended Inverclyde Royal on 5 March but could not be received at that time due to the level of alcohol in her system.

“She has now referred herself to integrated alcohol services. Her principal concern is to address her alcohol problems.” Sheriff Ian Fleming declined to grant the Crown’s motion for forfeiture of the car after hearing from Mr Buchanan that McLeod will not be keeping the vehicle.

She pleaded guilty to the drink driving offence at a previous calling of the case last month.

The sheriff — who had banned McLeod from the roads in the interim — adjourned the case further in order for the court to obtain a report from alcohol counsellors.

He told McLeod, of Port Glasgow: “You overcoming your alcohol difficulties from your own and the public’s perspective is the important thing.” She is due back in court on 15 April.