A HOMELESS woman found herself back in custody for being drunk and disorderly just four days after she was released from prison for previously breaching her order.

Her defence argued she was stuck in a revolving door and was being passed from agency to agency, none of whom knew what to do with her.

Deborah Morris, 51, pleaded guilty to being disorderly in a public place and to a further racially aggravated harassment charge today.

By pleading guilty to these matters she admitted this had put her in breach of an anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) imposed in December 2014.

Prosecuting, Nick Barr told the court that police had been called to a fish bar at around 4.30pm on Monday by the owner who had said that Morris had been into the shop asking for food.

When told they couldn't give her any she became abusive and swore at the owner.

She briefly left but returned and told the owner he should return to his own country.

When police arrived they found her unsteady on her feet and she was verbally abusive towards the police officer.

He added there were 17 breaches of her order in 2015 and she had been released from custody for her previous breach on Thursday.

Defending Morris, David Gosling said that under the ASBO his client was banned from going into the town centre where all of the agencies were that could potentially help her, as well as being banned from Liden where her family lived.

He added that she often fell victim to bullies who had previously thrown her in a lake, thinking it was a laugh.

"She is referred from one agency to another and none of them seem to come up with anything positive, she is just passed on to someone else and off she wanders into the street and she feels desperate," said Mr Gosling.

"What about alcohol treatment you might say? Well it won't work while she is trying to keep out the damp and the cold with something. Her medication is alcohol.

"Yes, this is an ASBO breach and it can go to crown court but surely we have to look at what she has been doing - has she been throwing stones at windows like some of the real menaces in the community?

"She was drunk and told she couldn't have any food and she swore. She is not a racist. No doubt the fish shop owner was very upset about it but I am sure he has far worse every night of the week.

"Just how this matter is going to be resolved I do not know, apart from the revolving door of [HMP] Eastwood Park.

"I would ask you on this occasion not to send her back.

"She says sometimes she is treated like an animal so she acts like an animal. That is the situation and it is wrong."

She was sentenced to a community order for 12 months for breaching her ASBO during which she must attend 15 rehabilitation activity days.

She was further fined a total of £180 for the other offences, but these were deemed to be spent due to her time in custody.