A woman caught having sex in bushes on church property in Blackburn ended up assaulting a police officer after her romp was cut short.

Blackburn Magistrates' Court heard officers caught Beverley Smith and her lover “in the act” in shrubbery which bordered a primary school.

Smith, 51, of Cleveleys Road, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to an act outraging public decency and assaulting an emergency worker on September 20, and being drunk and disorderly on a separate occasion.

She was jailed for a total of 16 weeks, 10 weeks for the September offences and a further six weeks of a suspended sentence were activated.

Lancashire Telegraph: St Anne's Church, where Smith was caught in the actSt Anne's Church, where Smith was caught in the act (Image: Google)

Passing sentence, Deputy District Judge Richard Jepson said Smith faced serious matters.

“The public decency offence is aggravated significantly by the fact it took place on church property and that borders a school,” said Deputy District Judge Jepson.

“It may be you made some effort to be discreet but you clearly weren’t.”

He said the offence was aggravated by the assault on the police officer who was detaining her quite properly.

“It is further aggravated by the fact you were subject to a suspended prison sentence for a previous assault on an emergency worker,” said Deputy District Judge Jepson.

“The courts have bent over backwards in the past to offer you support and give you every chance.

"It seems to me I would be failing the public if I did anything other than send you to prison.

“It also seems the only way you are going to solve your problems is to dry out in custody,” he added.

Julia Draper, prosecuting, said the police were contacted at 2.45pm on Wednesday September 20, by someone reporting a man and a woman engaging in sexual activity close to St Anne’s Primary School, Blackburn.

“They saw a male and a female in shrubbery and they were performing sex acts on each other,” said Miss Draper.

“The defendant came out of the shrubbery and was aggressive towards the officers.

"She was arrested and as she was being placed in a police van kicked the door which hit the officer in the chest. She then kicked him several times.”

Miss Draper said the man involved in the sex act had also been arrested and charged with outraging public decency.

He had failed to attend court on the first occasion and was still outstanding.

Gareth Price, mitigating, said his client and the man involved thought they had made some effort to be discreet.

“Clearly that wasn’t effective and she was detained at the scene,” said Mr Price. “All her offending relates to her alcohol problems.”