DRIVER Melanie Wynne left a trail of destruction behind her after she crashed into the central reservation of Fleming Way while on heroin, a court heard.

It was told the 25-year-old, who doesn't have a driving licence, also the hit walls of the town's courts in her VW Jetta and then reversed into another vehicle containing three young children and their mother.

But after hearing that the drug addict had recently started on a methadone prescription to get her off heroin a judge decided to defer passing sentence.

Ruth Armstrong, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court that Wynne was spotted outside the rear entrance to Woolworth's behind the wheel of the car shortly after 4pm on Wednesday, September 18, last year.

She said that after Wynne's vehicle came to a halt, the driver, who was unable to stand unaided, was taken to hospital where a blood sample was taken.

The results showed that she had recently used morphine or heroin the court was told.

When she was questioned she told police she could remember nothing of the incident apart from the final collision.

At an earlier hearing Wynne, of Townsend House, Bath Road, Old Town, admitted dangerous driving, having no insurance, no licence and driving while unfit through drugs.

James Newton-Price, in mitigation, said: "She tells the probation officer that she regrets the whole day. She is alarmed and surprised at the way she drove that day.

"The history is an extremely depressing one. She is an intelligent, articulate woman whose life has been severely affected by her drug addiction."

He said she went into care at the age of 13 and left school at 16 without any qualifications.

"Although she has been a drug addict since she was 16 it does appear that she was able for a time to contain that, and was able to hold down an office job.

"She worked for three years and gained qualifications in business administration."

In recent weeks he said she managed to secure a methadone prescription and was hoping to get counselling for her drug problem.

Deferring sentence Judge Mark Dyer told her he expected her to obey the instructions of her GP and carry out the counselling. He also imposed an interim driving ban.