A MUSSELBURGH driver who was said to be “struggling to speak” as she ordered a McDonald’s takeaway was found to be under the influence of drugs and had no full driving licence.

Ellie Watson arrived at the takeaway drive-thru at Fort Kinnaird behind the wheel of a vehicle and attempted to order food for her and her partner, who was sitting beside her.

But staff soon believed the woman was under the influence of alcohol or drugs and called in the police after serving her.

Officers arrived at the premises at about 4.20am on July 15 last year, where they spotted Watson’s vehicle in the car park.

And when they spoke to the 22-year-old, the constables noted the woman was “lethargic and slurring her words” and took her into custody.

Watson gave a breath test soon after and also had to give a blood sample a few hours later after she had been taken to St Leonard’s Police Station, Edinburgh.

Police officers then discovered Watson, of Delta Drive, had only a provisional driving licence and also held no valid insurance for the car.

Watson appeared in the dock at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last Wednesday, where she pleaded guilty to four charges.

Fiscal depute Miss Stuart told the court that Watson had previously pleaded guilty by letter and was driving a white Vauxhall Corsa when she pulled into the takeaway car park at about 4.11am.

The fiscal said that an employee spotted Watson was “having trouble driving the car” and suspected her of being under the influence of a substance when she was “struggling to speak” when ordering the food.

Solicitor Paul Smith said his client was expecting her first child in April and the offence had been “a very poor error of judgement”.

Mr Smith added that Watson had taken Valium at a friend’s home earlier that evening and now “accepts she was unfit to drive” the vehicle.

The brief said that Watson was a care worker and was currently a single woman and living alone.

Sheriff Roderick Flinn told the woman that she had committed “a serious offence” and banned her from driving for 18 months. The sheriff also issued Watson with a £300 fine.

Watson pleaded guilty to driving a vehicle with only a provisional licence at McDonald’s car park, Kinnaird Park, Edinburgh, on July 15 last year.

She also admitted a further three charges of having no valid insurance, being unfit to drive through drink or drugs, and failing to give police details of the driver of the vehicle during the same incident.