MITCHELDEAN woman Natalie Welsh who wrote a book about her ordeal in a Venezuelan jail is facing a claim for £66,000 under the Proceeds of Crime Act after she returned to the UK and peddled drugs, a judge heard.

The 31-year-old mum-of-two was jailed for six years and nine months last May after she admitted two charges of possessing cocaine with intent to supply and one of possessing BZP with intent. She also admitted five offences of simple possession of Ketamine, BZP and cocaine.

Her case was back before Gloucester Crown Court for a hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Judge Julian Lambert said he understood the prosecution is alleging that she benefited from crime to the tune of £66,000.

He set a timetable towards a confiscation hearing which will last half a day on May 24.

At that hearing prosecution and defence will present arguments about exactly how much she made from crime and what assets she has available for confiscation.

In 2001 the mum-of-two had been caught trying to smuggle 5 kilos of cocaine worth £325,000 out of Venezuela.

She was given a 10-year sentence in a hellish local jail but managed to escape after four years with the help of one of the guards who fell in love with her.

Once she was back in the UK she put her drug-fuelled life of crime behind her and got a good job as a recruitment consultant.

But after four years in the well paid work she wrote and published a book about her Venezuelan experience called 'Sentenced to Hell.'

When it was published her employers were so appalled that they sacked her.

The court was told last May that being out of work led Welsh back to drug taking and she then became a dealer peddling cocaine and BZP in pubs.