A MUM at the centre of a `drunken' air drama has avoided jail after a court appearance for not paying fines.

Leanne Connor and her pal Lynette York, from Salford, caused a holiday jet to make an emergency landing in Germany after it was alleged that they were abusive toward staff and tried to open a cabin door in mid-air.

Ms Connor, 26, of Lower Kersal, who has two young children, appeared at Manchester magistrates' court on three charges of non-payment of fines amounting to £1,260.

The fines were up to three years overdue and related to compensation in a common assault case, driving without insurance, driving without an MoT and driving `not in accordance with licence'.

Ms Connor told the court she was `surprised' to receive a court summons, adding: "It's all new to me, this."

She said she been told the money would be deducted from her benefits and had not known whether money coming out of her income support was for budgeting loans or the fines.

Magistrate Mrs Jane Dyson accepted that that the fines could come directly out of her benefits while deductions for the budgeting loans were in place, but said the onus was on Ms Connor to pay.

She said: "We are where we are now. If the court accepts there was a misunderstanding, this amount is still outstanding and needs to be paid off.

"We can't deduct any more from your benefits, so you've got to pay it yourself."

Ms Connor was then invited to make a `realistic offer', to which she replied `about £5, £10 a week.'

Setting a repayment rate of £10 a week, Mrs Dyson warned Ms Connor that if she didn't pay, she would be taken back to court and could go to prison for non-payment of fines.

Ms Connor then left court to pay the first instalment on her debt - which will take her nearly two years to repay.

Speaking after their return to Salford two weeks ago, Leanne Connor and Lynette York claimed the incident on the plane had been `blown out of all proportion' but fellow passengers disputed their account.