A banned driver who has never passed her test was caught on the school run with two of her children in the back of the car while another disqualified driver sat next to her in the passenger seat.

Mother-of-five Leah Ward was pulled over by police in Richmond Road, Gillingham, and not only was she found to be banned from driving, she also had no insurance nor any learner plates on display.

The 30-year-old had been at the wheel of a Volvo when she came to the attention of the police on May 11.

Ward, from Rainham, was later charged and admitted driving while disqualified and without insurance when she appeared at Medway Magistrates’ Court on June 25.

Rajni Prashar, prosecuting, said: “It was 2.45pm on May 11 and police stopped the vehicle in Richmond Road, Gillingham, and there were two young children in the back.

“There was a female passenger in the passenger seat and she was a disqualified driver.

“The defendant only had a provisional licence and that had expired and she had previously been disqualified from driving under the totting-up scheme for twice driving without insurance in 2019 and 2022.

“The vehicle [the Volvo] was insured, but she was not the policyholder nor was she the named driver.”

A totting-up ban is when a driver accrues 12 or more penalty points on their licence within a three-year period and the disqualification can be one of six months or more.

Ms Prashar also told magistrates the offence was aggravated because there were two children in the vehicle and Ward had been sitting next to someone who was also banned from driving.

Robert Weston, defending, said his client had not realised she had been banned as the case had been heard in her absence.

Mr Weston added: “She accepts she’d not kept her provisional up-to-date, the DVLA didn’t know where she lived. If she had known she would not have driven.

“She also didn’t know, at that point, that her passenger was disqualified. She thought she was driving under the provisional licence laws, but there were no L plates.

“If she had known, she would not have been driving. She was on the school run, she’s a single mum of five and she’s now got rid of the car after getting it out of the [police] pound, and doesn’t want to drive.”

A probation officer also interviewed Ward before she was sentenced and told the court she wasn’t suitable for unpaid work as she has five children, has no support with childcare and that she was a busy mum who had just not kept up with her paperwork.

Mr Weston added: “Yes, it was an admin error.”

Magistrates decided to fine Ward £120 for the driving while disqualified offence and also banned her from driving for another six months.

Ward received no separate penalty for the no insurance offence, but her licence was endorsed and she was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £48 as well as £85 court costs.