A 23-year-old woman with mental health issues has been given a suspended sentence for a string of offences.

Rachel Pearce, of Halifax Road, Keighley, admitted assaulting a police constable, possessing a bladed article and making nuisance phone calls, and was given an eight-week prison sentence suspended for a year, with 12 months of supervision and a medium-level activity order, at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates’ Court.

Pearce admitted persistently making use of the public communication network to cause annoyance, inconvenience or anxiety; using threatening words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress at Airedale General Hospital, Steeton; possessing a pointed article in a public place, namely razor blades; and assaulting a PC in the execution of his duty.

Her solicitor, Paul Fitzpatrick, said she had an “extremely complex clinical picture” with no quick solution but Mr Fitzpatrick said she was taking small steps in the right direction.