A JOBLESS marketing consultant who decided to drink-drive from Cowes to East Cowes after missing the last floating bridge service, thanked the person who shopped her to the police.

Chantal Andrea Louise Reed, of Cavalier Quay, East Cowes, admitted drink-driving during the early hours of May 23.

Reed gasped "Oh my God" when Island magistrates announced they had banned her from driving for 22 months.

The Isle of Wight Magistrates' Court heard that Reed had been out with friends at a restaurant in Cowes watching the Eurovision Song Contest, got drunk and blacked out.

She later drove her car.

Liz Miller, prosecuting, said police received a 999 call from a taxi driver, who was following Reed's silver Mazda in his cab worried about her poor standard of driving.

The driver stayed on the phone to keep the police updated with Reed's location until she got home.

But Reed, with no previous convictions, had stopped several times and confronted the taxi driver and his passenger along the way — unaware the reason they were behind her was because they were in contact with the police about her drink-driving.

Reed blew a reading of 88 microgrammes. The legal drink-drive limit is 35.

For Reed, 54, Amy Hosell said her client had been out for the first time since lockdown.

"She remembers talking to some people when her friends left, then it was a total blackout," said Miss Hosell.

"She had planned to get the floating bridge home, but because she blacked out, she can only assume it had stopped running.

"Given the expense of taxis on the Island, she could not afford to get one all the way round from Cowes to East Cowes, so made the decision to drive.

"She is completely ashamed of herself and embarrassed by her behaviour. She said drink-driving is absolutely appalling and can't believe it had been something she would do. It was quite a shock for her.

"Her words to me were 'I could've killed someone'. She just watched a new drama on TV called Time, about a drink-driver who kills someone — and it's really hit home what happened.

"Mentioning the taxi driver, she said she is almost thankful to him because it was the shock she needed. It's not enough to control alcohol. She said she needs to stop."

BBC drama Time stars Sean Bean as a former teacher sentenced to four years' jail for drink-driving, after a road accident he was involved in left a cyclist dead.

Magistrates also fined Reed £300, with £85 costs and a £34 victim surcharge.