A 42-YEAR-OLD man caught stealing from an Oswaldtwistle store was thieving to pay for alcohol.

Blackburn magistrates heard Frederick Jason Sagar had turned to alcohol after beating a heroin addiction and fully accepted that he needed help.

Sagar, of Stanley Street, Oswaldtwistle, pleaded guilty to stealing coffee, body spray and cheese worth £56 from Tesco Express.

He was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison suspended for 12 months, made subject to community supervision for 12 months and ordered to pay £80 costs.

Gareth Price, defending, said Sagar had managed to control his heroin habit with the help of various agencies.

“As is often the case he had replaced drug abuse with alcohol misuse and it is that which is causing problems for him at the moment,” said Mr Price.