A 24-year-old student was almost eight times over the limit when she was involved in a crash in Dalgety Bay.

Tara Patel was found behind the wheel surrounded by alcohol bottles and admitted causing the crash.

However, Patel managed to escape with a possible ban of just 12 months, the minimum for drink-driving, when she appeared in the dock at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

Patel, of Rocks Road, Charlestown, admitted that on March 9 at Western Access Road, Dalgety Bay, she drove a car having consumed excess alcohol.

Her reading was 159 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the limit being 22 microgrammes.

A not guilty plea was accepted to a second charge of careless driving by driving on the opposite carriageway and colliding with another vehicle, causing damage to it.

The court was told that Patel had been driving a black Volkswagen Polo at 10.25pm when an accident occurred.

Police found Patel in the driver's seat and she admitted causing the impact with another vehicle.

In her car were an empty MD 20/20 bottle, a half-empty bottle of Apple Soursz and a bottle of vodka which was three quarters full.

Defence solicitor Alexander Flett conceded: “It’s a very high reading.”

He said his client is a psychology student at university, has a part-time job in retail and is a first offender.

He added that she had been out for a meal with her boyfriend and had consumed alcohol. She had not planned to drive afterwards but “was not thinking clearly because of consuming alcohol”.

She also claimed that she had not been drinking from the bottles of alcohol found in her car.

Mr Flett asked for her to be allowed to take the drink drivers rehabilitation course.

Sheriff Krista Johnston said it was “an extremely high reading” and she “had to consider public protection”.

However, she only imposed a ban of 16 months which will be reduced to 12 months if Patel completes the rehabilitation course. Patel was also fined £400.