Drink-driving mother jailed

A mother who drove a Ford Escort packed with at least nine young children while she was twice over the legal alcohol limit was sent to prison for three months yesterday.

Amanda Ryan-McCurdy, 24, who admitted driving with excess alcohol, and with an overloaded car, was also banned from driving for two years. The police stopped Ryan-McCurdy, from Greater Manchester, in July after noticing the children crammed into the back of her Escort, Manchester City magistrates court heard. Karen Nolan, for the prosecution, said the officers had found 13 children, aged between six months and four years, in the car. The mother claimed there had only been nine children, but the police counted 13, because other children had arrived after she was stopped. Martin Jones, defending, said she had been at a party the night before, and did not realise she was still over the limit. Mr Jones added that she was taking the children, including her daughter, home after their parents had failed to pick them up following a football match.