Steps H's mother in drive ban

Ian HWatkins (top right) with Steps

The mother of Welsh pop star Ian 'H' Watkins of chart-toppers Steps has been banned for drink-driving.

Gaynor Watkins, whose eldest son H was a founder member of the squeaky-clean pop band, was stopped by police at Treorchy in the Rhondda Valley, south Wales.

Pontypridd Magistrates Court heard that Mrs Watkins had 50 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

H with fellow Welsh band member Lisa Scott-Lee

The 44-year-old mother-of-three was banned for a year and fined £350 after admitting drink-driving.

Mrs Watkins of Cwmparc in the Rhondda, refused to comment after the court case.

Her son - who is known as "H" - was a founding member of the band with Lisa Scott-Lee, from Colwyn Bay, north Wales.

Since then Steps has taken the pop world by storm - scoring a string of chart hits including a cover version of the Bee Gee's Tragedy, 5,6,7,8 and Better Best Forgotten.

The band won the award for Best Selling British Live Act at Brits 2000 last March.

But last week Steps hit their lowest-ever chart placing after a small number of record stores mistakenly sold their single a week early.

It could be seen as a dispiriting start to the new year given that at the end of 1999 Steps were in talks with American producers about the possibility of starring in their own brand new Friends-style comedy show.

The five-piece group were planning to fly to the US to begin talks with the hit show's producers.