A drunken teenager burgled the home of a friend and took a television after she had drunk 20 cans of strong lager, a court heard yesterday.

Cherylee Ash was arrested after she left her purse and a coat at the scene of her crime in Beresford Street, Lowestoft.

Ash, who turned 19 yesterday, pleaded guilty to last month's burglary at Lowestoft Magistrates' Court and was ordered to carry out 100 hours unpaid work and given a 12 month community order which will address her heavy drinking.

The court heard the three bedroom house belonged to a woman and her children that Ash was friends with and she had a key to the property as she had stayed there in the past.

And magistrates heard Ash, who lives at a care of property in Claxton Road, Beccles, had been binge drinking before she committed her offence and had a problem with alcohol since she was 12.

Colette Griffiths, prosecuting, said Ash had entered the home on November 23 as she had a falling out with the woman.

A drunken Ash took a television and dropped it nearby.

She had left the house open. Another television had been moved in the house and a games console and �500 were also taken – although Ash denied taking them.

Mrs Griffiths said when the woman returned to her home she found a purse containing Ash's bank card and her coat. At the time of the offence the woman had been away for about a week.

Rob Barley, mitigating, said: 'She had been drinking excessively. She had consumed some 20 plus cans of Stella Artois. She does not recall in great detail the offence itself. She accepts she entered the property. She took the television.'

Mr Barley said it was an unsophisticated and unprofessional crime.