A SINGLE mother with her two young children went through a red light as barriers descended at a railway crossing, a court heard yesterday.

Gillie Brabbin, 33, pleaded with Harrogate magistrates not to take away her licence after admitting driving through a red light at the Starbeck level crossing on the A59, between Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Brabbin, of Harlow Moor Drive, Harrogate, said she was due to start a part-time job as an admin assistant and needed her licence so she could get her daughters, aged four and three, to school.

The court heard she already had nine penalty points on her licence after speeding convictions and stood to be banned under the totting-upprocedure. But Brabbin, who said she realised how foolish her actions had been, blamed the driving offence on a temporary lapse of judgement.

Fining Brabbin £100 with costs and three penalty points, court chairman Mary Tennant said there was concern that the vehicle had been driven beneath the crossing barriers as they came down.

But it was accepted there were special circumstances which allowed the bench not to impose a driving ban.

Mrs Tennant said: "Our impression is that speed comes into the equation so you can get the children to school and extra-curricular activities. You can't continue this lifestyle.''