A woman who faces a lifetime ban on keeping animals failed to turn up at court today.

Ute Siewert was last month convicted of causing unnecessary suffering to pets she kept at her home in Vale Road, Seaford.

The RSPCA found more than 200 exotic mammals living in filthy conditions at the house, all without water and most without clean food.

An inspector was horrified to discover at least 17 dead pets inside the house, including a cat wrapped in a cloth in the hallway, dead rats, guinea pigs, birds and a chinchilla.

Siewert denied causing unnecessary suffering to the animals but was convicted of 19 counts in her absence last month at Lewes Magistrates Court.

She was due to appear before Brighton magistrates today for sentencing but failed to show.

She has missed every court hearing since May 29 and her own solicitors had been unable to contact her.

The court heard she had made a complaint to have several of the animals, which remain in RSPCA care, returned to her.

The case was adjourned to December 11, for the court to write to Siewert, advising her that an application had been made to dismiss her complaint, that the animals may not be returned and she may face a ban for life.

Animals including a dog and several cats remain in RSPCA kennels since being removed from Siewert's home in October 2001 and the RSPCA said it was anxious to rehome them.