BRISBANE City councillor Nicole Johnston has issued a statement in relation to charges of public drunkenness arising out of a weekend incident.

In the statement, Cr Johnston claims the charge was the result of a “misunderstanding” because she wanted to walk home from the city.

The Tennyson Ward councillor has released a statement this morning after her matter was finalised in court.

“I believe this matter stemmed from a misunderstanding with a policeman when I could not catch a taxi and wanted to walk home from the city,” it read.

She said she forfeited 50 cents bail at court this morning.

Ms Johnston also denied other media reports she was held by police outside a bar.

“Reports today by the Brisbane Times and other Fairfax outlets that I was detained outside a bar and refused entry to a venue are factually inaccurate and untrue,” the statement said.

Cr Johnston said she was back at work today.

EARLIER: BRISBANE city councillor Nicole Johnston has not appeared in court this morning to face a charge of being drunk in public.

The 43-year-old’s appearance before the Brisbane Magistrates Court this morning was excused and her cash bail was forfeited by Magistrate Jeffrey Clarke.

Ms Johnston’s solicitor Emma Fogerty had no comment outside court but said her client would release a statement later today.

Ms Johnston, 43, was arrested after an incident in the early hours of Saturday morning.

OVERNIGHT: A controversial Brisbane City councillor has been arrested and locked up after a late-night incident in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The Courier-Mail can reveal maverick politician Nicole Johnston was arrested and detained over what police sources have described as an alleged “street offence situation”.

It is understood the incident occurred about 1am, involved a public disturbance and she was held in police custody for several hours. It was not clear last night what, if any, further action, would be taken.

Cr Johnston last night sent a text advising she declined to comment.

Earlier she demanded to know where the information had come from.

“At this point, I don’t want to make any comment,” she said. “As I said, if you have some sort of particular source that you would like to put to me as to where this information has come from, I’m happy to consider that as well, and I am asking you for that.”

The LNP-turned-independent councillor for Tennyson ward is no stranger to police action, having infamously been evicted from the council chambers by uniformed officers in February 2013.

EVICTED: Police called to remove Brisbane councillor Nicole Johnston from chamber

Police were called after Cr Johnston refused to leave the chambers when ordered to do so.

Brisbane City Council last year submitted a file to court detailing numerous actions taken against her for what was described as “inappropriate behaviour”.

The actions, dating back to 2010, included more than 30 suspensions and warnings and nine referrals to the Councillor Conduct Review Panel.

The file also detailed eight police call-outs.

Cr Johnston has frequently locked horns with the LNP in an ongoing dispute that has often dropped into shouting matches and tears in the council chambers.

Early last year, she was booted from a council meeting and left in tears after a fiery exchange during which Lord Mayor Graham Quirk accused her of deliberately knocking over a tiny Australian flag on his desk. He labelled her “un-Australian”.

Cr Johnston denied upturning the flag on purpose and shouted: “I have done nothing”.

“All I did is come in here and accidentally knock over a flag apparently,” she said at the time