A LANGTON Green woman who had not passed her driving test was caught by police driving a car with the lights off at night and without the owner's consent.

Lucy Viner-Mood, 20, of Homewood Road, pleaded guilty to three offences at Sevenoaks Magistrates Court.

Prosecuting, James Nichols said: "Just before midnight on November 1 police officers on duty saw the defendant driving a Ford Mondeo without lights on in Camden Road."

He said when stopped, she had told the officers the car belonged to her father-in-law and she had permission to drive it.

Police checked and discovered the vehicle belonged to the defendant's neighbour, who had just reported the vehicle as stolen. They also found she had no insurance and had not yet passed her driving test.

Defending, Brian Ferris said Viner-Mood had gone out to the Black Horse pub on Camden Road that night with her neighbour.

He said she had borrowed the keys because she felt bored in the pub and wanted to sit in the car. She then saw a girl of about 16 coming along the road whom she used to babysit.

He said the girl was walking home to High Brooms and, "on the spur of the moment", Viner-Mood had offered to drive her home.

Chairwoman of the bench Jacqueline Hamilton said: "You were driving without lights in the dark with a passenger, which is dangerous. You put her at risk, even if you may feel you were protecting her from something else."

The defendant was given eight penalty points and fined £180.

Her provisional licence was endorsed to recognise she had driven without a full driving licence and she was ordered to pay costs of £60 and a £15 victim support surcharge.