A stay at a Saundersfoot hotel ended in a court appearance after a 63-year-old holidaymaker pleaded guilty to driving down a one-way-street when she was over twice the legal drink-drive limit.

Retha Marchbank had booked into the Gower Hotel on August 13, with the intention of spending the night there as part of a visit to Pembrokeshire.

But after consuming a quantity of alcohol in the hotel bar, the proprietors asked Marchbank to leave.

“This was a very strange reaction by the proprietors as she was required to leave,” her solicitor, David Williams, told Haverfordwest magistrates this week.

“And afterwards, the defendant found out that this request was completely unfounded.”

Mr Williams didn’t explain to the court the proprietor’s reasons for asking Retha Marchbank to leave.

As a result of their request she got into her Ford Fiesta and proceeded to drive the wrong way along a one-way system.

She was observed by two police officers who were on duty outside the Gower Hotel.

“They noticed a silver Fiesta driving the wrong way around the one-way system,” Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told the court.

“The officers travelled the correct way and met the vehicle head on.”

Ms Vaughan said there was a strong smell of alcohol emanating from the vehicle.

When the officers asked the defendant whether she’d been drinking, she replied, “Of course I have…I’ve been in the hotel.”

A roadside breath test proved positive and Marchbank, of Melksham, Wiltshire, was taken to the police custody suite where she gave further intoximeter tests. These gave a reading of 82 mcg. The legal limit is 35.

“She had no intention of driving that night as she’d planned on spending the night at the hotel,” said her defence solicitor, Mr David Williams. “But she was unexpectedly required to leave by the proprietors.

“She was driving very slowly and carefully as she didn’t know the town well enough with regards to the one-way system.”

Mr Williams informed magistrates that his client had no previous convictions.

After pleading guilty to the charge of drink-driving, Marchbank was disqualified from driving for a total of 19 months.

She was fined £288 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £115 surcharge.