Thames Valley Police drink driving cop would have been sacked

Shantell Woodward was fined and banned from driving after she crashed into a wall in Peachcroft Road in Abingdon

A former police officer "destined for promotion" drove into a wall when she was more than twice over the drink drive limit, a hearing was told.

Shantell Woodward, 37, quit Thames Valley Police after the incident on 21 May in Abingdon, Oxfordshire.

She had drunk alcohol at a function but drove her car along Peachcroft Road and hit the wall at about 20:15 BST.

Chief Constable John Campbell confirmed she would have been sacked for gross misconduct had she not quit.

She was breathalysed by police and arrested after the crash.

Woodward, from Abingdon, provided two samples, with the lowest reading being 83 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath. The legal alcohol limit to drive is 35 micrograms per 100ml of breath.

She admitted driving while over the prescribed limit at Oxfordshire Magistrates' Court in June.

She was banned from driving for 18 months, reduced to 12 months on successful completion of a rehabilitation course, and fined £600.

Mr Campbell said the matter was "out of character" and "tarnishes" a 12-year career in the force.

He said Woodward had been "destined for promotion at some point" and was "held in high regard" by colleagues and supervisors.