A WOMAN took on the identity of a police officer she knew to send abusive and racist e-mails on Facebook.

Sahrish Idris, of Blackburn, targeted PC Zoe Brown by using a Facebook account set up in her name.

She also posted messages from another police officer, PC Michelle Moffat, during her campaign of harassment.

One message allegedly sent by the officer referred to Idris as a “P*** bitch” and threatened to arrest her.

Blackburn Magistrates Court heard that PC Moffat could have been sacked if it had been believed she was the real author of the message.

Idris, of Cedar Street, was known to the two officers individually as they had been involved in incidents when she had run away from home as a teenager.

The 20-year-old was jailed for 12 weeks after she pleaded guilty to harassing PC Brown and harassing PC Michelle Moffat by sending a Facebook friend request from a false account, sending messages from the same account, sending an abusive e-mail and making a false allegation about her to her supervisor.

She was also ordered to serve a further eight weeks for being in breach of a suspended prison sentence and made the subject of a three year restraining order stopping her from having contact with either officer.

Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said there had been a number of messages on the bogus account which was eventually closed by Facebook.

One of the messages included the racist slur allegedly made by PC Moffat.

“PC Moffat did not send that message,” said Miss Allan.

“The two officers bumped into each other one day and PC Moffat mentioned the Facebook account. It soon became apparent PC Brown did not have an account.

“As a result of the defendant’s action PC Moffat was worried about her job and PC Brown was concerned because she felt Idris had accessed her private life.”

Angela Rossi, defending, said Idris mistakenly believed she had been sent a racist message by one of the officers.

“She accepts she responded inappropriately and while she didn’t set up the Facebook account she was involved,” said Miss Rossi.

“She is now aware of the implications there could have been for the officers involved.”

Sentencing Idris District Judge Peter Ward said the messages purporting to come from one or other of the officers were totally bogus.

“The nature of the messages was such that if they had been believed the officers would have been at risk of losing their jobs,” he said.