POLICE are hunting a drug-addicted prostitute after she failed to show up at court.

Amy Painton was issued with an interim Asbo at Oxford Magistrates' Court last Monday, June 23.

The order, sought by Oxford City Council, banned her from 39 council-owned flats across the city.

Magistrates heard how Painton befriended vulnerable tenants living in temporary accommodation reserved for the homeless. She then moved in and used the flats for prostitution and drug-taking.

Painton was due back in court on Friday to be served the full Asbo, but she did not turn up - allegedly in breach of the interim order.

Pc Jim Abram, of Thames Valley Police, said officers were actively seeking to find the 28-year-old.

He said: "We are looking for her - patrols are out."

Painton's 39 mini-brothels stretched from Blackbird Leys to Summertown, Marston and Iffley Road.

Residents living near the flats welcomed the ban after suffering ongoing problems with drugs and prostitution in various neighbourhoods.

If Painton breaches her Asbo, which lasts two years, she could be jailed for five years.

Oxford City Council declined to comment on the alleged breach.