A TRAVELLING shoplifter has been confined to her home every night and told to stay out of Monks Cross after a dramatic chase of a mobility vehicle along the A1237.

Simon Ostler, prosecuting, said Amanda Judith Blanckensee, 40, pushed a trolley full of stolen groceries worth £378.14 out of Asda's superstore by the shopping centre on May 10.

But store staff followed her and challenged her as she was unloading the trolley into a mobility vehicle. She drove off through the car park at speed leaving some of the items behind.

Police were alerted and spotted her on the York Outer Ring Road as she headed back to her Harrogate home with the rest of the stolen items.

She refused to stop and they had to box her in and use a "stinger" device to bring her to a halt.

District judge Adrian Lower told her: "York has quite enough shop thieves of its own. It doesn't need other people coming to the city to join in."

He made a 12-month community order including a 12-month ban from Monks Cross, a six-month drug rehabilitation requirement, 20 days' rehabilitative activities and an eight-week nightly curfew from 8pm to 6am. She was also ordered to pay £104 compensation to Asda for the meat she stole as it could not be resold, and £85 prosecution costs and given six penalty points.

The district judge told York Magistrates Court she should never have been driving because her licence had been revoked before May 10.

Blanckensee, of Bramham Drive, Harrogate, who came into court on crutches, pleaded guilty to careless driving, theft of groceries, failure to stop for a police officer, driving without a licence and without insurance.

Her solicitor Stewart Page said she had been addicted to drugs for 18 to 20 years after she was introduced to them while a law undergraduate. That had led her into crime and the change of most benefits to Universal Credit had caused her financial problems. She also had mental health problems.

On May 10, she didn't take her medication. She got a letter from Harrogate Borough Council over £240 unpaid council tax which included the possibility that she could be jailed if she didn't pay. She had a panic attack, got into her partner's mobility vehicle and drove off to York.

As a result of her actions, the vehicle had been removed and it would be five years before her partner or she could apply for another one.