A WOMAN who had been banned from keeping animals has been convicted and sentenced for being involved with horses.

Cheryl Ann Beautrice Harris, aged 32, of Norton Fitzwarren, was handed a 12-month community order with 80 hours of community service, ordered to pay £750 and banned from keeping any animal for an additional ten years.

It comes after Ms Harris, formerly known as Ms Relins, was found guilty in her absence at a hearing at Taunton Magistrates Court on May 23.

At a hearing on July 18, which Ms Relins attended, she was found to have breached a ban imposed on her in 2017 which prohibited any involvement with animals for a decade.

The first ban was issued after Ms Harris pled guilty to failing to meet the needs of dogs, cats, and birds.

RSPCA inspector Jo Daniel, who investigated for the animal welfare charity, said after the hearing: “Courts impose disqualification orders on people convicted of animal welfare offences to protect other animals.

“It is important for people to tell us if they believe someone has breached a ban.

"We depend on the public to be our eyes and ears and we take breaches of bans very seriously - as do the courts.”