Police were called in after a woman refused to leave Salisbury District Hospital, a court heard.

Gemma Sankey, 48, had gone to the hospital on Wednesday evening with severe pain from a back injury.

The hospital was not especially busy that night and she was allowed to stay. The next morning, with a diagnosis that no treatment was required and with doctors not sure what the day would hold for the hospital, she was asked to leave.

When she refused a security guard was called. She went into the car park and continued to cause a disturbance. Police officers, who were at the hospital for another matter, came to help and arrested her at 8.49am on Thursday morning.

Sankey was a woman of previous good character. William Griffiths, defending, said his client suffered from various health complaints, including back pain, dizzy spells and plantar fasciitis, and takes nine different forms of medication. She had been in the police cells for 24 hours.

Speaking directly to the judge, the woman said: “I’d just like to briefly apologise. I’m a well-educated lady and I was poorly.”

Appearing before Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court via video link from Melksham police station, Sankey, formerly of Crescent Road, Bulford but now of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to causing a nuisance or disturbance on NHS premises.

District Judge Tim Pattinson fined her £80 and ordered she pay a £34 victim surcharge, deemed paid by time served. He said: “I have to make the point anything which causes disturbance to NHS workers – stating the obvious, I shouldn’t need to have to state this – is serious and it’s particularly serious now.”

The judge added: “Obviously, everyone hopes your back will improve, but you must get the message there can’t be any disturbance to the hard-pressed NHS workers in Salisbury or anywhere else.”