A police officer caught drink driving would have been sacked if she hadn’t resigned first, a misconduct hearing concluded.

PC Rebecca Hetherington was caught driving under the influence in a BMW 5 Series on May 5 on Windy Hill Lane in Marske, Redcar.

The 50-year-old Cleveland officer gave a breath sample over the legal limit and was arrested. In custody, she gave a further two samples of 45mg and 42mg of alcohol her 100ml of breath – the legal limit is 35mg.

Appearing at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates Court on July 4 she pleaded not guilty to drink driving but changed her plea to admit her guilt on September 5 at the same court.

Hetherington, of Cemetery Lodge in Redcar, was banned from driving for 12 months, reduced by 12 weeks if she completes a course, and ordered to pay a total of £788 in fines and costs, court documents show.

At a misconduct hearing in her absence earlier this month, Chief Constable Mark Webster said she would have been dismissed but resigned on October 29.

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It was told she had not engaged with the hearing and was guilty of gross misconduct.

Chief Constable Webber said: “Driving over the prescribed limit of alcohol is extremely dangerous, and it is unacceptable for a serving officer to be convicted of a crime of this nature.”

The officer had experienced a decline in her marriage at the time and had a long and unblemished career of 24 years but accepted she had let herself, her family and the force down, the hearing was told.