A WOMAN described by police as a persistent beggar has been jailed for 20 weeks.

Rebecca Trudy Connelly, 28, of Gosport Road, Fareham, had previously been handed a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) by the courts, which prohibited her from begging.

However, she repeatedly flouted the order in Fareham and Gosport.

Police say she was caught begging in West Street, Fareham, on November 22, Gosport Road in Fareham on November 24, Osborn Road in Fareham on January 2 this year and Gosport High Street on January 4.

She was arrested and charged in relation to the breaches and on February 7 appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court, where she admitted the offences.

Yesterday she appeared at the same court and was jailed.

Fareham Inspector Richard Thompson said: “Anti-social behaviour such as begging has a negative impact on people who live and work in the town.

“We use the powers available to us to prevent the people responsible from being able to continue this behaviour, and it is always positive when CBOs are imposed.

“However there are always those who flout the law persistently and ignore the conditions that have been legally imposed on them.

“I hope the work that has been put in by the neighbourhood teams in Fareham and Gosport reassures the community that we are listening to your concerns and acting on these.”