A drinker who defied a court order within an hour of police showing her mercy spent 36 hours in custody, York magistrates heard.

Martin Butterworth, prosecuting, told them Karen Bulmer, 47, who has a long history of drink-related offences, is banned under an anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) from having an open can of alcohol in public.

On Saturday evening, police took an open can of alcohol off her when they saw her with it at The Windmill pub, Blossom Street, York, but decided not to arrest her. She had been causing problems there and had been asked to leave.

Less than an hour later, at 8.45pm, another officer saw her sitting in Costa Coffee's Blossom Street cafe with another open can of alcohol and arrested her.

Bulmer, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to breaching her ASBO. After hearing she had spent 36 hours in custody since her arrest waiting to come before them they decided not to give her a further punishment.

Her solicitor Craig Robertson said her alcoholism was a "disease" and she didn't set out to break her order. He also said police were inconsistent in the way they dealt with her.