A HOMELESS woman with a drink problem was jailed - after a judge heard no accommodation could be found for her.

Nichola Moore was handed a three-year criminal behaviour order last August aimed at curbing persistent offending.

She was banned from entering a designated Workington town centre area and specified shops.

Later in 2018, 35-year-old Moore was jailed for flouting the strict order terms. She has been jailed again for four more breaches.

One occurred on May 7 when she entered the town’s Iceland store. On June 23 she went into M&S despite being banned and stole wine worth £30.

“There was a final breach on August 8 when she attended Workington bus station, which was in the prohibited area,” prosecutor Michael Brady told Carlisle Crown Court.

Kim Whittlestone, defending, said Moore had also been jailed in the past for breaching a suspended jail term imposed after a jury convicted her of defrauding a charity set up to help Storm Desmond flood victims.

After the mum-of-two’s former Workington home was deluged, she was found to have made bogus cash handout applications, although she continued to deny wrongdoing.

“By that stage, due to stress, she had developed an addiction to alcohol,” said Miss Whittlestone, who explained Moore turned to drink and committed crimes when homeless. “She has, on release from custody, struggled to have accommodation made available to her. It is a vicious circle.”

She had tried to address this, partially successfully. And the probation service was still willing to work with her.

But, after hearing no accommodation could be found for Moore, Judge James Adkin jailed her for six months.

“I understand you have problems with drink,” he told her. “You need to realise that continuing to breach the order will mean going back to prison again and again and again.”