A WOMAN charged with a series of frauds worth £160,000 after she allegedly conned people into thinking she had terminal cancer was facing arrest after failing to appear in court today.

Emma Charlton, 25, was expected at Newcastle Crown Court accused of 20 counts of fraud and two of theft.

However, Charlton, of Meadowfield Gardens, Walkerville, Newcastle, formerly known as Emma Golightly, failed to attend the hearing and instead told lawyers she was in considerable pain having recently been in hospital.

Prosecutor Carl Gumsley asked Judge Guy Whitburn QC to issue a warrant for Charlton's arrest without bail because she had failed to attend court.

Responding, Michael Hodson, defending, said: "In her own words from those instructing me, she has had a recent operation and she is in considerable pain and has called the doctor.

"I completely accept the approach my learned friend has taken."

Issuing the warrant, Judge Whitburn said: "I take the view this is a case for a bench warrant not backed by bail."

The charges Charlton faces relate to her allegedly taking control of her fiance's credit card after she claimed she had terminal cancer.

She also faced allegations that she used her grandmother's chequebook to try to obtain goods worth £126,000, including staging a fashion show at the Hilton Hotel in Gateshead for models with cancer; a £50,000 gift to friends so they could buy a house and a £10,000 deposit for a wedding booking.

She was also charged with making a loan application in her fiance's name and using his chequebook to buy £28,000 of goods.