She was the police community support officer tasked with keeping an eye on the crowds at a Girls Aloud concert at Holkham last summer.But when Teresa May saw concert goers dropping their tickets into bins as they entered Holkham Hall, she could not resist reaching in and handing them out to two friends.

She was the police community support officer tasked with keeping an eye on the crowds at a Girls Aloud concert at Holkham last summer.

But when Teresa May saw concert goers dropping their tickets into bins as they entered Holkham Hall, she could not resist reaching in and handing them out to two friends.

But the offending all-girl trio, from Fakenham, found themselves 'tangled up' with the law on Monday and handed 17 week suspended jail sentences after failing to sing from the same song sheet when trying to explain to police what had happened.

May, 30, admitted obtaining services by deception and has since been sacked from her Norfolk Constabulary job.

The recipients of the tickets - Alison Hannam and Michelle Smid, both admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Malcolm Robins, prosecuting, said security guards had put tickets in bins after a rush of people towards the entrance gates during the sell-out August 31 concert.

May, of Churchill Estate, who was on duty, was spotted removing the tickets, but insisted at the time she had been given them.

She later said she had taken the tickets to get them autographed by Girls Aloud but said she had “lost her bottle” and did not get them signed.

Hannam, 39, of Greenway Lane, said May had given her tickets for herself and her two daughters, while Smid, of Horns Row, a manageress at a hairdressers shop, said she had bought hers for £37.50 but had given them away because she could not travel.

David Baird, defending May, said it was an “opportunistic act”.

“She made a terrible error that day and there is no risk of her re-offending,” he added.

Lawyers for the other two said both had acted out of character and had no appreciation of what they did that day.

The three women were also ordered to do 150 hours of community service, while May and Smid were ordered to each pay £350 prosecution costs and Hannam told to pay £250 because she had lost her job.

Sentencing Judge Simon Barham said: “May, you took the opportunity to remove the tickets from a bin. On the spur of the moment, you then decided to give them to Hannam and then claimed you got them to get them autographed. Perverting the course of justice is always regarded as serious as it stabs at the heart of justice. However, all of you are of previous good character.”

A Norfolk Constabulary spokeswoman said last night that May was sacked from her job in November.

“The conduct of members of the police service, whether on or off duty, affects public confidence in policing and the public have the right to expect the highest standards of conduct from their police service at all times. The overwhelming majority of Norfolk Constabulary's police officers and staff deliver an excellent and professional service to the public with a high degree of integrity.

“Any conduct which brings or is likely to bring discredit upon the police service will be rigorously investigated and where proven will be the subject of proportionate and positive action including where appropriate criminal charges. In this case the conduct of the PCSO fell well below the standards of honesty and integrity expected from all our staff and she was consequently dismissed from her post in November, following a period of suspension while investigations were carried out. The sentence of the court rightly reflects the seriousness of that conduct.”