A judge has locked up an obsessed spinster and told prison officials to stop her harassing a Roman Catholic priest.

Besotted Bernadette Quinn, 42, of Dodge Holme Court, Mixenden, Halifax, will spend the next three weeks at New Hall women's prison.

And at Bradford Crown Court yesterday Judge Roger Scott ordered a block on any phone card given to her to stop her pestering Father Jonathan Hart. The judge asked Father Hart, 35, of the Holy Spirit Church in Heckmondwike, to write down his telephone number and address so the details could be passed on to the prison staff.

"I want a block placed on her ability to phone that number," said Judge Scott. "I want a block on her post. No post must be taken from this defendant which is addressed to the priest.

"Any phone card she gets must have a block on it for that number and also she must not be allowed to pass through the prison system a letter addressed to the priest. That really is most important."

In February last year, Quinn, a cleaner, admitted harassing Father Hart while he worked as assistant priest at St Malachy's Roman Catholic Church in Ovenden, Halifax.

Calderdale magistrates heard that she bombarded him with hundreds of letters and gifts including flowers, a jumper and a bobble hat.

He eventually left and moved to take up a post 12 miles away in Heckmondwike.

The magistrates were told that Quinn suffered from De Cleranbault's Syndrome - also known as erotomania - in which a person, usually a female, develops the mistaken belief that a man is in love with her.

She was put on probation for 12 months and made the subject of a two-year restraining order but Father Hart revealed to the judge that the harassment had continued right up until this weekend.

Yesterday Quinn pleaded guilty to breaching the restraining order and Judge Scott warned her that she could face a life ban - and possible jail - when she returns for her sentence on September 6.

During the hearing Judge Scott took the unusual step of asking the priest to address Quinn in the dock, giving his views about any future contact.

Father Hart told her: "As I have made known to you on other occasions outside court, I don't want you to have contact with me by telephone, by letter or in person again.

"I wish you no malice at all, but I don't wish you to have any contact with me that would interfere with my work."