A HAMPSHIRE headteacher has been suspended after being caught more than three times the drink-drive limit.

Governors at Hiltingbury Junior School say their headteacher Roisin Philip has been asked to stay at home following her drink-driving conviction.

It comes after the 34-year-old was arrested by police outside her home in January.

She was found to be three-and-a-half-times the drink-drive limit when breathalysed by officers.

Philip, of Malmesbury Road, Southampton, denied drink-driving.

She was found guilty after a trial at Southampton Magistrates’ Court last month.

Speaking about the conviction, Judith Rutherford, Chair of Governors at Hiltingbury Junior School, said: “I can confirm that interim arrangements are in place at our school for deputy head, Jon Clark, to take on the role of acting headteacher.

Daily Echo:

“Governors are considering an appropriate course of action following the conviction of Miss Philip for a serious motoring offence which is unconnected to her role.

“These arrangements are ensuring the school continues to run to the high standards both parents and governors expect.”

During Philip’s trial, the court was told how security staff at Sainsbury’s in Shirley spotted Philip on CCTV in the store’s car park on January 29.

She was seen stumbling into trolleys and collided with a sliding door.

Security staff continued to observe Philip on CCTV as she appeared drunk.

When they saw Philip get into her Renault Clio, they reported her registration to the police.

Philip, who denied drink-driving, told officers she had consumed two bottles of wine outside her home.

She was arrested after she was breathalysed and found to have 124 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

The legal limit is 35 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

Philip was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months.

Magistrates said the offence crossed the custody threshold because of the high level of alcohol, but suspended the sentence because of her previous good character.

She was also banned from driving for three years, fined £750 and ordered to pay £620 in court costs.

Philip was appointed headteacher of Hiltingbury Junior School in September last year, but did not take up the role until January – the same month of the offence.

In an introduction statement, printed in the school’s newsletter in September, Philip said she felt “very lucky” to be given the leadership role at the school.

Philip had previously been a teacher for 10 years, having worked at Tanners Brook Primary School, before leading the Portswood Teaching School Alliance.

She was the Acting Deputy Head of the infant school at Shirley Junior School in 2016.

Hampshire County Council did not respond to the Echo’s request for a comment.