A 22-year-old Dudley woman has avoided jail after making threatening phone calls to nurseries and schools across the West Midlands.

Rebecca Cooper, of Park Hill Street, The Buffery, received a suspended jail sentence after calling eight nurseries, with a warning that she had guns and knives before threatening to kill everybody.

Cooper admitted to making the calls on Wednesday (March 15) and was arrested shortly after they were reported to police.

She remained in custody overnight, before appearing at Dudley Magistrates Court on Thursday (March 16) where she pleaded guilty to eight counts of malicious communications and a further charge of racially aggravated behaviour towards an Asian police office.

She appeared at Birmingham Magistrates Court on Friday (March 17) where she was sentenced to 24 weeks in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered to pay £165 costs and attend a 30-day rehabilitation programme.