A Bristol drug addict may lose both her legs after injecting heroin into them to feed her habit.

Zoe Alexander, 27, has committed 14 offences in the past year, most recently stealing 13 bottles of perfume from John Lewis at Cribbs Causeway.

She pleaded guilty to one count of theft when she appeared at Bristol Magistrates' Court yesterday.

Alexander also admitted failing to comply with a community requirement of a suspended sentence she was given on April 7 for a previous offence.

Appearing in custody, the defendant, of Ullswater Road, Southmead, asked if she could be sent to prison to help combat her addiction.

Magistrates obliged and sentenced her to 20 weeks behind bars, activating the suspended sentence and adding six weeks more for the theft.

May Li, prosecuting, said: "At 3.40pm on August 4, a security guard at John Lewis at The Mall was standing at the exit of the fragrance department. Ms Alexander was in possession of a large Iceland carrier bag, when the alarm sounded.

"She ignored the security guard and walked out of the complex. The guard followed her until the police arrived.

"She was arrested and at interview admitted the theft, saying she would have sold the fragrance for drugs.

"She tested positive for cocaine and opiates."

Alexander committed 13 similar offences between 2008 and 2009, the court heard.

Jane Taylor, defending, said: "Miss Alexander was made subject to a suspended sentence order, but missed two appointments on May 28 and July 8. She engaged well at the beginning but recently, in the last month, she has failed to engage.

"I have an immense amount of respect for her, she is a very intelligent lady, she has held down a good, regular job.

"So it's sad to see her struggle with her heroin addiction.

"It is the root cause of her crime. She is fighting it.

"She goes through phases, at one point she was 10 months clean.

"At the moment she is injecting heroin into her legs, it has given her serious health concerns.

"She now has clots on both her legs.

"She may lose both of them if she does not overcome this.

"Her concern is that if she is released, she may well fail and her life would be in danger."