Wellington, March 20 NZPA - A prostitute has been jailed for 21 days after complaining of breaking her nails at community work and failing to carrying out voluntary work at a Wanganui primary school.

Tala Jepsen, 19, appeared in New Plymouth District Court for re-sentencing after pleading guilty to two breaches of community work.

The court was told she had failed to carry out both the voluntary work she agreed to do and the 60 hours of community work it was replaced with, the Taranaki Daily News reported.

The sentences were for stealing cheques from a man's chequebook last year.

She had used excuses such as illness and damaging her fingernails for not attending community work, Judge Allan Roberts said.

Jepsen was sent to jail for 21 days and her outstanding fines of $1820 were remitted.