Woman driver dying from a stroke was arrested by traffic police who thought she was drunk

Traffic police arrested a woman for drink driving when she was actually dying from a stroke, an inquest heard today.

Julie Hawkins, 55, crashed her car and was tended by another motorist who noticed the side of her face was drooping.

But when police arrived on the scene they arrested her on suspicion of drink driving - even though another driver told them Mrs Hawkins was displaying the classic symptoms of a 'catastrophic' stroke.