EastEnders actress Elaine Lordan lied to police about drinking and driving the night her boyfriend crashed his car, a court heard on Tuesday.

When police turned up at the scene they found the pair walking from boyfriend Peter Manuel's crashed Renault Megane, St Albans Magistrates Court heard.

But the couple repeatedly claimed the Megane was nothing to do with them.

The actress, who plays Lynne Slater in the BBC soap, said they had stopped and helped the driver to push it on to a grass verge.

Breath test

The actress, whose Audi was parked in a nearby lay-by with the hazard lights on, said the Megane driver had walked off to Borehamwood.

The court heard two police officers were suspicious because the couple had clothing and bags as they walked from the Megane.

Miss Lordan was breathalysed after one officer smelled alcohol on her breath.

A breath test proved positive, the court heard.

'Admitted driving'

She had 51 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of her breath. The legal limit is 35.

PC Adrian Worthington said that she admitted that she had driven her Audi, which was parked in a nearby lay-by.

But Miss Lordan, 36, of Highbury, north London, denies drink-driving on 3 July last year on the A1 Barnet bypass.

False name

PC Worthington said Mr Manuel at first gave him a false name and claimed he did not own a car.

When the officers suggested Mr Manuel owned the car, he looked dejected and finally handed over a bunch of keys, PC Worthington told the court

After Mr Manuel admitted being the driver, his breath test was negative.

The hearing continues.