Safety ad move after officer fine

Johnny Caldwell
BBC News website

A woman police officer who played a part in a road safety TV advertisement had to be edited out after she was caught drink driving.

Last week, Constable Geraldine Donnelly pleaded guilty to the offence. She was fined £120 and banned for 12 months.

The 30-year-old PSNI officer's role in the ad for the Christmas season had to be cut out - at a cost of £9,000.

The advertisement carried the tag line: "You'll Get Smashed If You Drive on Drugs".

It is part of a PSNI/DoE road safety series.

The BBC News website obtained information about the cost of the re-edit from internal PSNI correspondence requested under the Freedom of Information Act.

Constable Donnelly, who appeared at Bangor Magistrates Court on Wednesday 23 May, had 140mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood. The legal limit is 80mg.

The court heard how she had been involved in a collision with another car on the County Down town's Gransha Road in January 2005.

The advert in which she appeared, and for which she provided a voice-over, had to be reworked by advertising agency Lyle Bailie to be used in the run-up to Christmas last year.

Constable Donnelly's conviction comes just months after the PSNI recorded its worst ever year for drink-driving - 2006 saw 22 officers charged and convicted of the offence.

Previously 2002 had been the worst year for drink-driving among PSNI officers when 15 officers were found guilty of being over the limit behind the wheel.

Constable Donnelly will now be subject to internal PSNI disciplinary proceedings which can include dismissal.

A PSNI spokeswoman declined to comment.