Bolton coach driver caught with bottle of whisky
A coach driver who had already driven from Bolton to Manchester to collect stranded passengers was found to be more than twice over the legal drink-drive limit.
Felicity Hall was staggering in the aisle of the train-replacement coach she had just driven when she was approached by police. She was found to have a bottle of whisky in her possession.
When the police breathalysed her, she recorded 81mg of alcohol in her breath. This is more than double the legal limit.
The station co-ordinator contacted the police after suspecting the driver of being under the influence.
Ms Hall was on a day off work and was not expecting to drive until the following day; however, emergency cover was required and she responded to the call, unaware that she was already over the drink-drive limit.
Ms Hall was employed by Atlantic Travel and arrived at Manchester Piccadilly train station at 12.15am on 13th April. The station co-ordinator, who was not expecting her, noticed that that she appeared to be staggering in the coach.
At a court hearing this week, Gareth Hughes, prosecuting, said: “The defendant was described as staggering from one side of the aisle to the other.”
The co-ordinator asked Ms Hall if she had been drinking, to which she replied that she had but that it was “some time ago”. The station co-ordinator carried out a simple alcohol test, asking Ms Hall to blow air to see if there was a smell of alcohol.
The police arrested her and found a bottle of Bells whisky in her possession. Ms Hall had driven an empty coach from Bolton to Manchester and had posed a serious risk to herself and to other road users. Had the station co-ordinator not intervened, it is possible that she would have driven a coach full of passengers later that night.
Ms Hall was sentenced to 200 hours of unpaid community work and banned from driving for two years.