A PHONE pest who has plagued the police with unnecessary calls has again been jailed.

Anthony James Walters, 56, of St John's Road, Winchester, admitted three breaches of a five-year criminal behaviour order passed in April which has tried to stop his offending.

But Basingstoke Magistrates Court heard that he called the police on October 25, November 1 and November 3, making a total of 36 calls.

Magistrates jailed him for 26 weeks for the "flagrant disregard for court orders."

Walters denied assaulting PC Joshua Phipps on November 4 and the case was adjourned until December 19.

It is the second time in less than four months that Walters has been sent to prison for the same offence. He was jailed for six months in July for calling the police 54 times between June 10 and July 7 this year.

In July Police Inspector Jon Turton, senior officer in Winchester, said: “We take this seriously because nuisance calls take up valuable time that could be better spent talking to people in genuine need.

“Receiving a high number of malicious calls directly affects the service we can give to other people. Call handlers should also be able to work without being verbally abused. It is disappointing to see Walters repeatedly ignore the criminal behaviour order he had received."