E-scooter woman who rode while drunk on hen do gets driving ban

Paige Burnley's defence team said she did not realise she could not ride the scooter after drinking

A woman who rode an e-scooter while drunk after a hen do has been banned from driving for 18 months.

Paige Burnley, 26, was stopped by police in Cheltenham at 22:40 BST on 9 April after being spotted weaving in and out of traffic.

Cheltenham Magistrates' Court said a breath test showed Burnley, from Lincolnshire, was more than twice the legal limit for alcohol.

District Judge Nicholas Wattam also fined her £500.

On 25 April, Prosecutor May Li told the court that Burnley, of North Hykeham, was spotted by police riding the Zwings e-scooter erratically in the bus lane in Royal Well Place.

• Scooter trial begins in West

She was stopped and an officer noticed her eyes were "glazed and red" and her speech slurred.

After failing a roadside test, she was taken into custody where she provided a reading of 75 micograms of alcohol in her breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.

Burnley pleaded guilty to one charge of drink-driving.

Burnley was seen riding the scooter in Royal Well Place in Cheltenham

Chris Hogg, defending, said the hen do group Burnley was part of had booked taxis to take them home, but they had not arrived.

"My client thought, incorrectly, that they could ride the e-scooters instead and legitimately hired one of them.

"They did not see anything warning them of the legal requirements and she rode the electric scooter thinking she wasn't committing any offence," he said.

"She accepts that ignorance of the law is no defence."

District Judge Nicholas Wattam said Burnley's penalty would be less severe as she had admitted her offence straight away.

"I accept you were under a false impression that you were able to use an e-scooter on the road having drunk alcohol that had taken you over the drink-drive limit," he said.

"This was a dangerous activity to be doing for which there has to be a penalty."

The judge also ordered that Burnley pay court costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £50.

Cheltenham is one of more than 30 towns and cities currently having official e-scooter trials.