Driving ban for councillor who refused breath test

A councillor who failed to give a breath test when asked to by police has been banned from driving for 12 months.

Rachel Kelsall - a former Stoke-on-Trent Conservative councillor who now sits as an independent - represents the Hanford, Newstead and Trentham ward.

She was charged with the offence of "failing to provide a specimen for analysis – vehicle driver" following an incident in Etruria on 5 December 2024, police said.

She was sentenced after a trial at Derby Justice Centre on Thursday.

Kelsall's disqualification could be reduced by three months if she satisfactorily completes a course approved by the secretary of state by 21 December, the court said.

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