POLICE who went to arrest a woman when she failed to turn up for a court case, found her hiding in a bedroom cupboard under a pile of bin bags.

Charlaine Ann Hall, aged 25, of Battenberg Road, Heaton, had been due to appear in court on December 8 to answer a shoplifting charge.

But she did not appear and magistrates issued a warrant for her arrest.

Police who called at her home could get no answer when they knocked on her door - but broke in after hearing movement inside.

They searched the house and found Hall hiding in the cupboard.

But when they took her outside she managed to escape and ran off - only to be re-arrested later. She appeared before magistrates charged with obstructing police and failing to surrender to bail.

She was also accused of theft from the Co-op Late shop in Chorley Old Road, Bolton, in November last year.

Geoffrey Southcote-Want, prosecuting, told the court that Hall put £7.27 worth of chilled food in a basket, which was then transferred to a carrier bag held by her partner, and they then walked out without paying.

Shop staff checked their CCTV pictures and called police, but shortly after officers arrived, Hall and her partner entered the shop again and were arrested.

Adam Whittaker, defending, said Hall had been in a relationship with a man who also had a criminal record, she had suffered from drug misuse and had been trying to deal with the problem herself.

Sentencing her to a 12-month supervised community order, plus a 12-month drug rehabilitation order, magistrates told her they were giving her a chance to get her life back on track.

She was also ordered to pay £5.85 compensation and £120 prosecution costs.