A footballer was caught transporting more than £1 million of cocaine in North Yorkshire after police stopped her - for speeding.

Danneka Fivey had dreams of being part of top-flight football in England, York Crown Court heard.

But now she is serving six years in jail after North Yorkshire Police pulled her over on the A1(M) near Boroughbridge on April Fools' Day.

Stephen Grattage, prosecuting, said the only reason her car was stopped was Fivey was speeding.

The car’s rear seat footwells and the boot were filled with 35 one-kilo blocks of cocaine of very high purity, worth together between £980,000 and £1,220,000.

She was on her way to deliver them to addresses in Jarrow and Tynemouth, the court heard.

Fivey, 35, of Birmingham Road, Coventry, pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine with intent to supply it to others.

Defence barrister Robert Mochrie handed in character references and described her as an “otherwise law-abiding and extremely industrious” woman who was well thought of in her day job and had also been part of Coventry Ladies Football Club.

She had been hoping to progress to top-flight football in this country and had done well academically despite a difficult childhood, the court heard.

“It makes this case all the more tragic,” said Mr Mochrie.

Jailing Fivey for six years, the Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris, said: “This is an example to all young women who get together with drug dealers and drug takers.

"My advice to them is it will lead you into prison. You should walk away as quickly as possible from any such relationship. It will all end in tears.

“Here we have an example of a thoroughly decent young lady who has ended up going to prison for six years, thanks to the company she kept.”

Mr Grattage said police found a mobile phone in Fivey’s car that was giving her directions to the two Tyneside addresses.

She must have been greatly trusted by the person who gave her the cocaine, she must have known she had a large amount of drugs and must have been promised some kind of payment for couriering them, said the prosecution barrister.

The blocks contained 85 per cent to 95 per cent cocaine which was “very pure cocaine,” he said.

She also failed a roadside drugs wipe, indicating she used cocaine herself.

The judge said Fivey must have been naïve to be speeding when she had so much cocaine on her.

Mr Mochrie said: “She has learnt and will continue to learn a salutary lesson. It is a huge mistake that will not be repeated. She accepts this was her own fault.”

The journey was a one-off and it was clear someone else had been directing Fivey.

She had psychiatric problems that had affected her employment, the court heard.

In prison, she had been taking a course run by the prison authorities with Sunderland Football Club. She had done other work with Low Newton Prison’s PE and sports department with a view to working in the sports industry on her release.