Carlisle mum was drug driving on M6 with her two young children

There was also evidence that the woman, who is in her 40s, had used cannabis, the city's Rickergate court heard. She admitted the cocaine offence and two further counts of failing to provide the appropriate booster seats for her children. Prosecutor Diane Jackson said the police stopped the defendant as she was driving on the south-bound side of the motorway near to Tebay Services.

It was just before 11.30am on February 18. A roadside drugs test produced a positive result for cocaine while a later blood test confirmed the Class A drug was in the woman's system at a concentration of one and a half times the limit. Cannabis was also detected but at a level below the legal imit.

"She does not have any previous convictions recorded against her," said Mrs Jackson, pointing out that the offence was aggravated by the children being in the car and by the presence in the defendant's system of a second drug. Police had to acquire two child booster seats so the two children could be transported safely to the home of a relative as the defendant was she was being dealt with at the city's Durranhill Police HQ. From the dock of the court, the defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she had left her children with her mother the previous night while she was "partying."

She said she had not waited long enough for the drugs she used to get out of her system. "It was just a one-off," she said. "I've been an ex-addict for years and I do Narcotics Anonymous meetings." Of the offences she committed, she added: "I am mortified and ashamed.

I spend a lot of time with my children, but I don't get a lot of support. "I'd gone out, and my mam took them for the night. It wasn't until the police officer said to me about the timing [for drugs to leave your system]; I'd not thought about it properly.

I've never done anything like this before. "It's really affected my mental health. I have not been back in the car since that day."

Magistrates imposed a ?230 fine with a ?96 victim surcharge and banned the defendant from driving for 28 months.

There was no background Probation Service report on the woman after she failed to turn up for her appointment.

She said this was because her children were poorly.