A Bristol pub landlady who turned "professional handler of stolen goods" to assist her criminal customers, has little hope of ever being allowed to run a pub again, a judge has said.

Jennifer Bell, 36, former licensee of The Oxford, in Totterdown, was arrested after police carried out an undercover operation in her pub and she sold them £1,400 worth of stolen goods.

She admitted handling stolen goods and was sentenced to an eight-month prison term, suspended for two years, at Bristol Crown Court in December last year.

She was also hit with a 12-month supervision requirement, a six-month tagged curfew period and a prohibited activity requirement, forbidding her from holding, or applying for, a publican's licence.

Her barrister, Tabitha Macfarlane, challenged her sentence at London's Criminal Appeal Court and urged Mr Justice Keith, sitting with Mr Justice Bean, to reconsider.

Bell, of St John's Lane, Bedminster, sat in the public gallery to hear her appeal.

Reading from sentencing remarks made by the Crown Court judge, Mr Justice Bean said: "You were prepared to act as a professional handler of stolen goods.

"You held a position of some significance and importance as a landlady of a public house favoured by the criminal element.

"It was not a matter of luck that they turned up at your doorstep to drink in your pub day after day after day."

The appeal judge added: "We consider that this case comfortably crosses the custody threshold.

"We consider that the sentence of eight months cannot be criticised as manifestly excessive, nor indeed as excessive at all."

Mr Justice Bean did however allow an appeal against other aspects of the sentence and said Bell's curfew order would be quashed and replaced with a ban on visiting licensed premises between 9pm and 6am. That ban will last until June 9 this year.

The Appeal Court also quashed the prohibited activity requirement, replacing it with an order forfeiting Bell's publican's licence.

The judge concluded: "Bell's prospect of ever being granted a licence again are very poor, but we consider that that is a matter for the licensing authority."