‘Giggly’ St Leonards nurse, 22, caught drink-driving on The Ridge, Hastings

Megan Warren, from Beaulieu Gardens, St Leonards, was among the first drivers stopped during Sussex Police’s crackdown on drink and drug-driving this winter.

An officer saw her vehicle hit a kerb on The Ridge, Hastings, at 1am on December 1 last year. She then swerved across the road towards his own police vehicle, blocking the carriageway, a spokesperson for Sussex Police said.

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The officer noted the nurse was “calm but giggly” and smelled of alcohol. In custody she gave a breath test for 76 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. The UK drink-drive limit is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.

Warren appeared before Hastings Magistrates’ Court on January 5. She admitted drink-driving and was disqualified from driving for 17 months. She was also ordered to pay a £350 fine, £85 costs and a £35 victim surcharge.

Richard Davis, 19, a labourer, from Scutes Close, Hastings, also admitted drink-driving when he appeared at Hastings Magistrates’ Court on January 5.

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Officers on Hastings seafront saw his vehicle turn into Robertson Street without headlights on at 3.15am on December 4. He apologised to officers for his driving and told them he had pints of beer earlier in the evening, and only wanted to move his car to prevent getting a parking ticket, a spokesperson for Sussex Police said. In custody he gave a breath sample of 54mcg of alcohol per 100ml of breath. He was disqualified from driving for one year and was fined £300, with £85 costs and a £34 victim surcharge.

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Sussex Police made 257 arrests during the drink and drug-driving campaign from December 1 last year to January 1 this year. A spokesperson for the force said: “The aim is to raise awareness that driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is one of the major reasons why people are killed or seriously injured on our roads. Of the arrests, 58 were made as a result of officers attending reports of road traffic collisions. In keeping with previous campaigns, the details of those who are convicted in court are to be publicised on the Sussex Police website and social media channels as a deterrent to stop offenders.”

Chief Inspector Michael Hodder, from the Surrey and Sussex Roads Policing Unit (RPU) said: “Although most road users are conscientious and law-abiding citizens, there is a stubborn minority of people who refuse to comply with the law. Not only is this putting their own lives at risk, but also other innocent people’s lives as well. These people may think that nothing bad is going to happen to them, but in reality even a small amount of alcohol or drugs can impair your judgement and seriously increase the risk of you injuring or killing yourself or someone else.”

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