A WIGTON woman is facing a crown court trial after being accused of reporting “false allegations” to the police.

Lauen Steele, 32, of Caldew Close in the town, appeared before a Carlisle Crown Court judge via a video link from the prison where she is being held. She is charged with perverting the course of justice and breaching a restraining order.

The first charge states that she committed the alleged offence at Wigton between June 10 and 13 “with intent to pervert the course of public justice.”

She is accused of committing a series of acts, “namely making false allegations to Cumbria Police” thereby perverting the course of public justice.

The second charge, allegedly a breach of a restraining order, was committed over the same period, say prosecutors. Steele is accused of doing this by again “making false allegations to the police" about a named woman.

She did this, say prosecutors, in contravention of a restraining order which had prohibited her from behaving in that way.

The order was imposed at Carlisle Magistrates Court on March 22, according to the charge.

In answer to both allegations, Steele entered not guilty pleas. Recorder Michael Blakey said she will face a trial that is likely to be in the week of January 13 next year. In the meantime, the defendant was remanded in custody.