A DRUG user hid cannabis in her vagina during a police strip search in Worcester, lying to officers that it was a tampon.

Koura Freely took drastic measures to hide her 1g stash of cannabis after she was arrested for an assault which led to the search at Worcester Police Station.

The 39-year-old of Madresfield Road, Malvern, admitted possession of the class B drug (resin as opposed to bush) when she appeared before magistrates in Worcester on Thursday.

Officers found 1g of the drug hidden inside her body during the search on February 15 this year. No charges were made out against Freely for the assault which she was initially arrested for.

Ralph Robyns-Landricombe, prosecuting, who appeared over videolink said: "Whilst in custody for that indictable-only offence on February 15 at approximately 12.15am a strip search of the defendant was authorised by the custody sergeant. While searching the defendant's bottom half it could be seen that something similar to a black bag was protruding from the defendant's vagina."

It was identified as cannabis although Freely initially 'lied' to officers, claiming it was a tampon said the prosecutor.

The court heard that Freely had eight previous matters recorded against her and at the time of this offence was on a 12 month conditional discharge, imposed last July, for theft and assault which she was in breach of.

Paul Stanley, defending, said his client had been arrested for assault. "That's why she found herself at the police station. That allegation went nowhere. She was quite quickly deemed to be the victim in that case.

"She was subsequently released without charge," he said.

Mr Stanley said she 'panicked' when she concealed the cannabis which she had paid £5 for and which was for personal use only.

Although magistrates could re-sentence her for the original offence, Mr Stanley asked if the conditional discharge could continue. "The only reason she was found with that small amount of cannabis was because she was arrested for an offence she did not commit," said Mr Stanley.

Magistrates accepted she had entered a timely guilty plea for possession of a very small amount of cannabis. They fined her £50 and ordered her to make a £50 contribution towards costs and pay a statutory £34 victim surcharge. They further ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the cannabis. The conditional discharge will continue.

We have previously reported how Freely was 'hungry' when she stole meat 'in bulk' to stock up during the coronavirus pandemic and baby milk for a friend who was 'shielding'.

Freely admitted four thefts in Malvern, two at the One Stop in the town's Pickersleigh Road and two at the Co-op in Barnards Green Road.

She stole baby milk and deodorant from One Stop on April 5 last year before returning five days later to steal several items 'of value unknown'. On April 22 last year she stole a bottle of wine worth £8 from the Co-op, returning to the same shop on May 21 last year to steal £61 worth of meat.

Freely had been seen concealing the deodorant and baby milk in her bag and was challenged by one of the store workers as she left without offering payment.