A CON artist banned from knocking on every door in Blackburn was back in court after her latest targets recognised her from the Lancashire Telegraph.

Two shopkeepers reported the fraudster when she went into their businesses asking for money.

Blackburn magistrates heard the two businessmen recognised the 39-year-old from her picture in the newspaper and the Lancashire Telegraph website.

Coughlin was originally made subject of the criminal behaviour order after tricking her way into vulnerable people's homes and getting them to give her money.

She targeted the elderly, people with terminal illness, people with learning difficulties and those with dementia in the Shear Brow, Infirmary and Ewood areas of Blackburn.

Officers said Coughlin would tell residents a fake ‘sob story’ about how she had been in a car accident and needed to get to hospital – or that she had been the victim of fraud herself and desperately needed money to pay her gas or electricity bill.

Now she has pleaded guilty to three charges of breaching the order by asking for money in two shops and one private house.

She was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison suspended for a year and ordered to pay £115 victim surcharge.

Passing sentence, the chairman of the magistrates said Coughlin had come close to going straight to prison.

"You have become a nuisance to members of the public and, it would seem, shopkeepers and it has got to stop," he added.

Parveen Akhtar, prosecuting, said all three offences had been committed on the same day.

She had gone into shops on Bolton Road and Longshaw Street asking for money for gas and electricity and knocked on a house door and asked for money.

"She admitted lying to the people at the house, saying she had been in hospital," said Miss Akhtar.

Gareth Price, prosecuting, said his client understood the breaches were aggravated by the fact they had been committed so soon after the order was imposed.

"The behaviour is indicative of the ongoing problem she has with drug abuse," said Mr Price. "She had been in the newspaper and on the Lancashire Telegraph website when the order was made and a number of shopkeepers recognised her and sent her on her way."