St Albans rapper and Big Brother star Dappy has been warned by a judge that he will be “locked up” if he breaks his probation conditions again.

The former N-Dubz artist, a cousin of singer Tulisa, clasped his hands in prayer as he was told by Judge John Plumstead on Wednesday (28) that missing appointments and arriving late for meetings with probation officers was “rude.”

The 27-year-old had taken a large black bag into the dock at St Albans Crown Court fearing he would be sent to prison, but instead was ordered to pay £1,200 in fines and costs.

He admitted two charges of breaching the conditions of his probation that was imposed as part of a suspended sentence at Guildford Crown Court on November 6 last year.

The charges were put to him under his real name: Costadinos Contostavlos.

On December 2 he failed to attend an appointment with a probation officer and on December 17 he arrived late for a “Thinking Skills Programme” group workshop, which aimed to get him to improve his self-control and curb negative behaviour.

Helen Flavell, for Hertfordshire probation service, told Judge Plumstead: “He appears to have prioritised other things over his attendance.”

She said there had also been 10 breaches of his 10pm to 6am curfew when he had arrived home late.

Jon Harrison, defending, said Dappy had “outstanding commitments” to HMRC and his mortgage provider, but had recently received a “block of money” to reduce what he owes.

He said the December 17 offence was caused by lateness and was not a “flagrant breach”.

But Judge Plumstead warned: “He will have to shape up and behave. Probation officers are not just there waiting to see him. They have a full diary and public money is being wasted. If he breaches the conditions again he will be locked up. It is in his hands.”

The judge added: “What you did is a form of rudeness. Probation officers … are over-stretched, under-funded and short in numbers.”

He warned he would fine him £1,000 and ordered him to pay £200 costs.

Outside the court Dappy laughed with relief and said: “I have got to take it seriously. It was a silly mistake.”

He said he had got his tax problems sorted out and had an album coming out in February.

Dappy had been spared a jail sentence at Guildford Crown Court for punching a football coach on the dance floor of the Evissa nightclub in Reading.

He hit a man on the nose after he had been told to stop talking to women in his group. He was given a two-month jail term, suspended for 12 months, a four-month curfew with an electronic tag keeping him at home between certain hours and ordered to pay a fine and compensation.

At the time he was already serving a suspended prison sentence for a previous affray and assault at a petrol station in Guildford, Surrey, in February 2012. Dappy spat at two teenagers which lead to a fight in which three men were seriously injured.