A MOTHER-of-one who confessed to indulging in sexual activity with a 13-year-old boy in Burnley is being hunted by police.

Alexandra Patricia Tattersall, 31, of Saxon Street, was due to face Judge Pamela Badley for sentencing over the charges at Burnley Crown Court yesterday.

But Tattersall failed to attend court.

The judge was also told that Tattersall had failed to co-operate with Probation Service officers trying to compile a pre-sentence report.

Judge Badley, who had previously warned that Tattersall could face jail over the matter, issued a bench warrant for her immediate arrest.

Police will now be responsible for tracking down Tattersall, who is known to have mental health problems and has used three or four addresses in the Burnley area previously.

Detectives say she took her teenage victim to a bedroom, undressed in front of him before the sexual activity took place.

In October she pleaded guilty to one charge of sexual activity with a boy and another count of engaging in sexual activity in front of a 14-year-old boy.

Both offences were said to have occurred at a house in Dalton Street, Burnley, between December 21 and 25 last year.

Detectives have also confirmed that both boys had been invited into the defendant's home and plied with alcohol before the offences took place.

At a previous hearing, Roderick Priestley, defending, said Tattersall suffered from mental health problems and had urged the court to consider psychiatric reports before imposing any sentence on his client.

Tattersall was released on bail following the last hearing on condition she did not approach anyone aged under 16 except for her own son.

At that time, Judge Badley warned the defendant she faced a prison sentence for the offences and that she would be placed on the sex offenders register.