A Ponders End woman who made more than 100 hoax calls to the emergency services has been slapped with a temporary anti-social behaviour order (ASBO).

Kathleen Hughes, of Nags Head Road, has cost emergency services in excess of £300,000, payable by the taxpayer, for the false alarms made over a six-year period.

She has also been accused of harassing a neighbour who is suffering from a terminal illness.

The order, granted on Friday, is intended to stop her causing alarm, being abusive or threatening to others, using a pay-as-you-go mobile phone, or consuming alcohol in a public place.

Enfield Council, working with the police and fire brigade, finally decided to take Mrs Hughes to court after she failed to curb her behaviour after being issued with an £80 fixed penalty ticket for making a hoax call in January.

PC Steve Hodgson, the council's anti-social behaviour co-ordinator, is hopeful the order will halt Mrs Hughes' nuisance calls.

He said: "This order is exactly what we wanted, and it should put a stop to her activities.

"We will monitor it and arrest her if she breaks the order."

PC Hodgson believes the heightened sense of alarm following July's terrorist attacks has made the case even more relevant.

He added: "It is bad enough at the best of times if anyone makes hoax calls, but especially when we have heightened security because of terrorism.

"None of us want emergency vehicles responding at speed, potentially causing injury to the public or emergency officers, for hoax calls."

The case against Mrs Hughes was adjourned to give her time to secure legal representation. She will next appear before Enfield magistrates on October 24.