A MOTHER of four who phoned police claiming to be a terrorist and said she was going to 'blow up Rishton' has been jailed.

Victoria Hosker, 26, gave her own name and urged officers to send two vans.

Her early hours hoax call meant part of East Lancashire was left without emergency cover after chiefs called in all available manpower to deal with the threat.

Hosker, said to have borderline personality disorder and to have made attempts on her life, smiled, laughed out loud and owned up when police turned up at a house in Rishton, Burnley Crown Court was told.

The court was told officers then realised it was not a serious incident and she was not arrested there and then, but reported for a summons.

Hosker, now of Griffin Street, Blackburn, was jailed for six months, after admitting communicating false information with intent, last May 20..

Sentencing her, Judge Andrew Woolman said she had 'a terrible life in many ways' but had not engaged with mental health treatment in the past. He said: "It has to send the message out to all people who might be minded to make such calls that they will end up prison if they are caught."

David Macro, prosecuting, said the defendant made a 999 call to Blackburn police station at 1.24am. She identified herself as Victoria Hosker and told the communications officer she was a terrorist, had a bomb and was on her way to blow up Rishton and later a curry house.

She said police should send two vans as 'that's how many it will take'.

Hosker sounded drunk, but police said no chances could be taken and a high-level decision was made to deploy all available police officers to deal with the incident.

Mr Macro said the call was located to a home in Parker Street, Rishton and police arrived there just after 2am.

The defendant answered the door, wearing only a T-shirt and underwear and a man was standing behind her, also in his underwear. She was smiling as she spoke to officers, at some point laughed out loud, admitted there and then she had made the threat and added: 'Yes, I have got a bomb down my knickers'.

The defendant had previous convictions for dishonesty, threatening behaviour, assault, damage and being drunk and disorderly.

Gregory Earnshaw, for Hosker, said she had alcohol and mental health problems and urged the court not to jail her.