A VAUXHALL driver was more than twice over the cannabis driving limit.

Jodi Knapp, 26, of Fishponds, Bristol, was stopped behind the wheel of a 66-plate Corsa in Drakes Way on January 16 in connection with an alleged traffic violation.

But prosecutor Emma Charleton told Swindon Magistrates’ Court that police officers decided to test her for cannabis after catching a scent of the class B drug.

Tests showed she had the equivalent of 5.3mcgs of tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, in a litre of blood. The legal limit is 2mcgs.

Also found in the car was a spliff and a small bag containing 8g of cannabis.

Knapp pleaded guilty to drug driving and possession of a class B drug. She told the magistrates she had spoken to her bosses about the court appearance and they were aware she could lose her licence. She had written a letter to magistrates that duty solicitor Liz Highams described as “very helpful”. Knapp had no previous convictions.

Chairman of the bench Jane Flew said: “Driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs you now realise is something that is taken as seriously as drink driving.”

She was fined £425, banned from driving for a year and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £42 victim surcharge.