71506-84A PROSTITUTE who is banned from the town centre has admitted breaching her anti-social behaviour order after being spotted in Manchester Road.

Drug addict Miaya Bryan, 26, admitted twice breaching the order as well as two charges of theft when she appeared at Swindon Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

But after hearing how she was desperate to clean up her act the court adjourned sentencing to allow social services time to carry out a pre-sentence report.

And Bryan, who has been in custody since being arrested for theft on March 21, was given bail until her next court appearance on May 4.

Although Bryan, of Ferndale Road, admitted being in the town centre on January 16 and March 2 she denied she was working as a prostitute at the time.

Tony Nowogrodksi, defending, said that Bryan had been into town to collect a jacket from a friend's house in Queens Drive when she was seen running through the alleyways off Manchester Road.

He claimed the second breach came when Bryan was too embarrassed to tell her new boyfriend about her ASBO, which she received in 2004, preventing her from going into town.

As a result she was spotted by police outside a chip shop in town.

Mr Nowogrodski said: "The Anti-Social Behaviour Order is the usual order this court imposes on working girls and she breached it on two occasions.

"The order was there to stop her working as a prostitute. But she was not there in the sense of being out as a prostitute."

The court heard Bryan had been living in a squat with no heating and no electricity and was desperate to get help for her drug addiction.

She pleaded guilty to stealing nearly £100 worth of Oil of Olay goods from Boots on December 5 and more than £100 worth of perfume from the Great Western Designer Outlet Village on March 21.

"Part of her wanted to be caught because she wanted to obtain help and get on a drug testing order," Mr Nowogrodski said.

"She is very keen on that order and she is on the waiting list. She knows that she needs help."

The court heard Bryan suffered from depression and was still upset after her two children, aged five and eight, were taken away from her by social services and were adopted in 2003.

Bryan, who is currently living with her brother, had felt further isolated when her mother moved to Portugal earlier this year, Mr Nowogrodski said.

But Frank Murphy, prosecuting, said: "When she was interviewed she didn't say it was a cry for help.

"She said she would have sold the perfume for money and used it for food and drugs."

But magistrates ordered social services to compile a report on Bryan before they sentence her.

She was given bail on the condition that she lives and sleeps each night at her brother's address and stays out of shops. She must also go to Swindon central police station once a week and she was given a 6pm to 6am curfew.

More funds needed

THE manager of Drug Link says Swindon does not have the funding it needs to fight the war on drugs to help people like Miaya Bryan beat their addictions and stop re-offending.

Dave Cork said: "The problem I think faces Swindon is that nationally we are still seen as a small provincial town and the funding from the Government reflects that.

"What is not clear is whether there will be any change in that.

"I am aware that other populations that are similar to Swindon get vastly more funding than we do.

"We are definitely underfunded to tackle the problem. More money would give us the capacity to help more people.

"I think for the amount of money that comes from Government the services here do a very good job."

Gareth Bethell