AN ALCOHOLIC stole burgers from a supermarket because she was hungry, a court heard.

Victoria McLeod, aged 35, pleaded guilty to theft.

The former heroin addict has now been banned from Asda, in St Martin's Quarter, Worcester, for 12 months.

Colette Orton, prosecuting, said an Asda security guard spotted McLeod at around 7.20pm on January 7.

He recognised her as the person responsible for previous thefts and followed her around the store, the court heard.

Mrs Orton said: "He saw her pick up a pack of burgers and put them inside her jacket.

"She said she had no money as she didn't get paid until the following week and stole them because she was hungry."

Magistrates were told that she later attended a voluntary police interview, where she was shown CCTV footage of her stealing 24 Budweiser beers from the store.

She also tried to take a bottle of wine out of the supermarket, although staff thwarted this attempt, the court heard.

Mrs Orton said these thefts took place between December 19 and January 7.

She added: "She didn't recollect the wine theft and said she must have been bladdered."

Magistrates were told that the defendant said she probably did try and take the wine as she is an alcoholic.

Susie Duncan, defending, said: "She had been on heroin for 15 years up to March last year and then stopped taking it. She is now on a Methadone script."

She said the defendant, who is on benefits, replaced her heroin addiction with alcohol misuse.

The probation service said McLeod had been the victim of serious domestic violence in the past and used to be addicted to crack cocaine and heroin, however she has now had 36 consecutive clean drug tests.

McLeod was previously convicted of stealing perfume from Boots and skin care products from Lloyds Pharmacy, the magistrates were told.

The court heard that the mother-of-six drinks about 20 units of alcohol a day and suffers from anxiety, depression and other health issues.

Worcester Magistrates Court banned her from the Asda store and told her to pay an £85 victim surcharge and £15 in compensation, on February 14.

It also ordered an alcohol treatment requirement.