Elaine Lordan arrived at court with her boyfriend, Peter Manuel

The 37-year-old was disqualified from driving for 12 months and fined �750 on Thursday at St Albans Magistrates' Court.

The actress, who plays Lynne Hobbs in the BBC soap, had denied a charge of drinking and driving in July 2001.

Ms Lordan, of Highbury, north London, was one and a half times over the permitted limit after driving from Borehamwood studios late on the night of 3 July to collect her boyfriend, Peter Manuel.

He had crashed his Renault Megane nearby on the A1 Barnet bypass.

Positive breath test

After arriving to collect him in her Audi, police who arrived on the scene smelled alcohol on her breath.

After a positive breath test she was taken to Borehamwood Police Station where a second breath test revealed that she had 51 mg of alcohol in 100 ml of breath - 16mg above the legal limit.

Miss Lordan, giving evidence earlier, told how she had drunk five single vodkas with a dash of soda that evening.

She said she began panicking when Mr Manuel rang.

"I started to get heartburn and had a horrible taste in my mouth. I got straight in my car and went to Peter."

She agreed that at first she and Mr Manuel had lied to officers at the scene, saying the Renault belonged to someone else, because their affair was secret.