A BOOZED up childminder was four times over the legal limit when she picked up four toddlers from nursery.

Laura Falls from Troweir Road in Girvan intoxicated herself the night before she was trusted with local tots all under the age of four on November 8 last year. The next day she downed glasses of wine in her home right before she was due to pick up the children in her car and look after them.

Police stopped the 41-year-old driving her black Ford on North Park Avenue in Girvan and found her to be 90 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath which exceeded the legal limit of 22mg in 100ml.

The 41-year-old has since stepped down from her job as a childminder by her own accord and according to her solicitor Quinton Muir. He told the court: “At the time she was working as a childminder. She has voluntarily stepped down.

“She continues to be alcohol free and she does accept she endangered these children. She was very well thought of in her job.”

Sheriff John Montgomery reiterated to Mr Muir in court: “She was in charge of four children, goes back to her own house and starts bevying again.”

He then addressed Falls saying: “You drove while four times over the legal limit with other people’s children in your vehicle, it’s unforgivable.”

Falls was disqualified from driving for 18 months and fined £750 which she will pay at £50 per week.

An outraged mother of one of the children told the Ayr Advertiser she was disgusted at the childminder’s antics. She wanted as many parents as possible to know what she did as it was feared she was still looking after children at the time. She said: “She was still childminding. I want to make people aware not to leave their kids with her. I just want people to know who she is and what she’s done.”