HEROIN addict Donna Allen has been sent to jail for two months after a court heard how she travelled to Swindon to shoplift.

The 27-year-old, who gave a Gloucester night shelter address to the court, admitted theft.

She was caught walking out of the B&Q store in Fleming Way with DIY equipment worth £594.55, magistrates were told.

Colin Meeke, prosecuting, said Allen and a man were seen pushing a trolley out of the store on Saturday afternoon and were challenged by staff asking if they had paid for the goods.

Although the man ran off and has not been caught, Allen was detained by staff who called the police and she was arrested.

The pair had loaded up 20 boxes of laminate flooring and five boxes of spot lamps, he told the court.

When police interviewed Allen she told them she was stealing to feed her heroin addiction which cost between £40 and £50 a day.

Mr Meeke said she had numerous previous offences of theft as well as failing to surrender to custody.

He said: "With a record like hers there is only one way she is funding her heroin habit, and that is by crime."

The court was told that she was put on probation in August after being sentenced to a three-month prison term in June.

David Gostling, defending, said she felt she could not cope with the rigours of a drugs treatment and testing order and so the only alternative was custody.