A divorcee who had been drinking heavily stole the hand-bags of three women while they were dancing in the disco of a Manchester hotel.

Minutes later she was found hiding in the toilets with the bags, the city's magistrates heard last Thursday.

Ann Callis, 38, of Cavendish Court, Urmston, admitted three counts of theft and was given a 12-month rehab-ilitation order.

Solicitor Peter Antrobus, defending, said Callis, a place-ment officer at Stockport Coll-ege, had been drinking heavily and had no recollec-tion of the offences.

She had consumed nearly a bottle of wine before she went out on October 26 and after-wards had more wine and cider.

Probation officer Ronald Tench said Callis was a week-end "binge" drinker who acc-ep-ted responsibility for the "mean thefts".

"She is beginning to realise its easy to blame what happ-ened on the loss of control foll-owing excessive alcohol indul-gences," added Mr Tench.

Prosecutor Martin Fleming said the bags had contained about £90 in cash and a variety of other items includ-ing a mobile phone.

Callis was ordered to pay £50 court costs.