A 20-YEAR-OLD woman who wasted more than 200 hours of police time when she lied about being raped has been ordered to repay the community.

Limara Crewe, of Conan Doyle Walk, Liden, was told to do 150 hours of unpaid work when she appeared at Swindon Magistrates' Court yesterday.

The court heard that officers spent five days hunting three men of Eastern European appearance after the young mum concocted her story.

They carried out door-to-door inquiries and viewed hours of CCTV in a bid to catch the culprits, dedicating 222 hours to the case.

More than £500 was spent on medical tests alone after Crewe, pictured left, reported the phoney attack in Cambria Bridge Road on March 18.

Prosecuting, Marion Langford, said that police began to suspect she was lying when witnesses came forward with contradicting information.

Ms Langford said: "All in all considerable work and effort on the behalf of the police force was put behind this inquiry.

"She gave a very detailed account of what happened.

"She was given ample opportunity to withdraw the allegations but she still maintained that this rape occurred."

Officers' inquiries led them to a taxi driver and one of Crewe's friends who disputed her tale.

"In due course witnesses did come forward but witnesses that led police to believe the circumstances were not as she had said."

A taxi driver said that he had taken Crewe, another woman and two men to an address in Odstock Road, Penhill.

The woman at that address said that she had heard Crewe having sex with one of the men in a bedroom and thought nothing of it.

"There was nothing to support this defendant's story," Ms Langford said.

"Police time was obviously diverted away from other genuine inquiries to concentrate on what was a very serious allegation."

Crewe was arrested on March 23 on suspicion of wasting police time and said to the officers: "I can't believe this. I was so drunk. I can't really remember what happened."

When she was cautioned she said: "I'm just really sorry for wasting your time."

In police interview Crewe said that she had lied about the area and the offenders but maintained she had been raped by the man she went to the house with in Odstock Road.

Police are not investigating any further rape allegation.

Defending, Rob Ross, said that his client had been embarrassed about what happened that night.

"It's a sad case because you have a young woman in front of the court who has to be sentenced for her behaviour in acting very foolishly when she went to the police," he said.

"Thankfully she came clean quickly. Thankfully no-one was ever arrested.

"In some way it's a wake up call to her.

"Possibly it will be a wake up call for a lot of other people, that you don't need necessarily to go out and put yourself in a position where this sort of thing can happen.

Magistrates ordered Crewe to complete a 12-month community order.

She must also pay £511.73 compensation to the police for the money spent on medical tests and £73 court costs.

After the case Det Insp Mark Garrett, who headed the investigation, said: "Swindon police takes every rape allegation seriously and this case caused a dedicated team of detectives to be assigned and a lot of hard work and effort was put into the investigation.

"All cases proved to be false and malicious will be considered for prosecution but we still want to make sure that all attacks of a sexual nature are reported.

"They will be treated seriously and investigated thoroughly. The victim is paramount."