A lap dancer at a Worcester club went berserk after she was caught thieving from her fellow workers.

Fallon Cleveley punched one dancer in the face, broke free from a staff member trying to hold her and scratched another dancer on the cheek.

She lost her temper in the women’s changing room in Images after stolen keys and credit cards were found in her bag, said Andrew Wilkins, prosecuting.

Five years ago, Cleveley stole a bag from another nightclub’s dance floor and then assaulted the victim of the theft, Worcester Crown Court heard.

She also had convictions for failing to give a breath specimen and driving while banned.

Mother-of-one Cleveley, aged 23, of Cranham Drive, Warndon, Worcester, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft, assault causing actual bodily harm and common assault.

Judge John Cavell warned her that a similar third incident would result in a jail sentence.

He gave her a 24-week prison term, suspended for two years. The judge said he would have added unpaid work to the sentence.

But because of insurance risks, the probation service ruled out work because Cleveley was suffering from depression and collecting invalidity benefit.The thefts happened in March this year after complaints were made that personal items were going missing at the club, said Mr Wilkins.

“She was stealing from fellow lap dancers,” he said. “At midnight one girl noticed her wallet had been moved. Another girl said she had had a suspender belt taken. The defendant complained that she was being picked on because she had only been at the club for three weeks. But the other dancers had made her feel at home.”

Cleveley told police she could not recall events after taking medication and drinking two or three glasses of wine.

Sharonjit Bahia, defending, said she had an alcohol problem and was the sole carer of her two-year-old daughter. She also had large debts but a county court had allowed her to keep her home and pay back rent arrears.