A GWENT AM has been banned from the Assembly for two weeks after admitting failing to provide a breath sample to police.

Earlier this month it was revealed Islwyn's Rhianon Passmore had been convicted in February of failing to provide a sample of breath for analysis on Saturday, September 23, last year

Following the conviction the Labour AM referred herself to the Assembly's Standards of Conduct Committee, which recommended she should be banned from the Assembly for two weeks, starting on the first day after the summer recess, Monday, September 17. And AMs nodded the recommendation through on Wednesday, the final day of the Assembly before summer recess.

Presenting the motion, chairwoman of the Assembly's Standards of Conduct Committee Jayne Bryant said the decision to recommend a suspension "was not taken lightly, but it was agreed that the breach warranted a significant sanction".

Ms Passmore was not present at the Assembly on Wednesday, but a statement was read out by leader of the house Julie James.

In it, she apologised for her actions and said she had recently been faced with "private struggles that I have found it difficult to master".

"None of this excuses my guilt for breaking the law," she said.

"I am profoundly sorry for that."

She added: "I will ensure that the issues in my private life are tackled, and I remain committed to passionately serving the constituents I'm honoured to represent to the best of my ability.

"I know I have to regain people's trust, and I shall work my hardest, and to the best of my ability, every day to achieve that."

In a statement to committee Ms Passmore said she had been out for a meal in Cardiff with a friend during the evening on September 22, during which she had drunk "possibly two or three glasses of wine".

On the way back to the car the AM, who suffers from chronic and acute asthma, had an asthma attack and took emergency medication she carries with her.

She explained while driving to her mother's house her car broke down in St Mellons, and the police arrived and asked her to provide a sample of breath, but she was unable to do so.

Ms Passmore, who was first elected to the Assembly in 2016, appeared before Newport Magistrates Court on Monday, February 12, where she pleaded guilty to failing to provide a sample.

She was banned from driving for 20 months and was also fined £1,000 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £100 and costs of £620 - all of which has been paid in full.

She was found to have breached paragraph 4b of the Assembly's Code of Conduct, which states: "Assembly Members should at all times conduct themselves in a manner which will tend to maintain and strengthen the public’s trust and confidence in the integrity of the Assembly and refrain from any action which would bring the Assembly, or its Members generally, into disrepute.”