A WOMAN who is banned from calling 999 has avoided a jail sentence after breaking the terms of her ASBO for the eighth time.

Caroline Ellis made so many hoax calls to emergency services that she was given an ASBO in August 2010, to stop her tying up potentially life-saving resources.

But the 46-year-old has continued to abuse the service — and Bolton magistrates have again referred her to an anti-crime workshop.

After reading a pre-sentence report, magistrates ordered her to attend eight sessions at Eve’s Space, an organisation that helps women who are involved in crime.

The court heard that in the latest incident, Ellis called the police at 1am on January 23.

Ellis, who had been drinking, called to say there was a man sleeping in her flat in Musgrave Gardens, Bolton, and that he refused to leave.

Police came and woke him up.

He said he had not been asked to leave, but officers removed him and Ellis was reminded about her ASBO.

She rang again at 2am, saying the man had put his fingers in her ears.

Officers attended again and she admitted the call was not an emergency and was arrested.

Ellis pleaded guilty to breaching her ASBO.

She started making the calls in 2008, and had no convictions before then, the court heard.

She was jailed last June, after a suspended prison sentence was activated when she breached her ASBO.

Kate Harney, defending, said Ellis had learning difficulties.

She accepts the breach of the anti-social behaviour order and she should be before the court, but it is a sad set of circumstances,” she added.