Ingrid Tarrant has this afternoon been disqualified from driving for using her mobile phone while behind the wheel.

A police officer spotted Tarrant, ex-wife of radio DJ Chris, on her phone while driving along Church Street in Cobham on September 20 last year.

When she was asked by the officer if the call she was making was an emergency she replied: "No. It wasn't a life or death call."

The 55-year-old originally pleaded not guilty but changed her plea to guilty on January 19.

At Staines Magistrates' Court this afternoon she put forward a plea of exceptional hardship to avoid a driving ban, saying all of her children were living with her in her home in Hatchford Hall, Ockham.

Her defence counsel, Jennifer Mee, said: "A number of people rely on my client. All four children are residents at her property and she is the rudder that steers the large ship."

It was revealed in court that 11 people live with her, including a neighbour and her two children who Tarrant took in after their pipes froze and their house became uninhabitable.

The court heard that Tarrant earned £400 a week and that her children did not pay any rent.

But Tarrant was questioned about her finances, after telling the court the last time she was facing disqualification, in March 2008, that she was too poor to pay for a driver to ferry her son to cricket lessons. At the time magistrates asked her whether her estranged husband Chris Tarrant could pay for a driver.

She was spared disqualification and, weeks later, was awarded property worth millions in a divorce settlement.

Today, prosecutor Donna Webster said: "In March 2008 you told the court you were asset rich but penny poor and a settlement had not come through. Is this still the case?”

But Mrs Tarrant said: "I went for the property. Not the hard cash. One property is our former matrimonial home and I couldn't rent it out in its current condition so I borrowed money to renovate it. Money is not fluid at this point of time."

Staines magistrates added three points to her licence, taking her over the 12-point limit and meaning she is disqualified from driving. She was also fined £300.

As Tarrant left the court to leave in her Mini, her daughter was heard to say: "It looks like I'm driving us home then."