A BLACKBURN man who was responsible for two attempted burglaries - and also had a list of burglaries on his record - has been placed on a two-year community order.

A judge said the sentence represented the best way of protecting the public from Kevin Booth.

Recorder Andrew Nuttall made his comments at Preston Crown Court after being told that 32 year old Booth had served the equivalent of over a two-year jail term while on remand.

Booth, of Gloucester Road, was given a community order with a 12 months drug rehabilitation requirement and an eighteen months substance related offending programme.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted burglary and one of common assault.

The attempted raids took place at a home and shed on Bryan Street, Blackburn on June 4th last year.

A neighbour saw him acting suspiciously.

David Macro, prosecuting, said those offences took place while Booth was on bail for a common assault on a taxi driver.

Defence counsel Richard Hunt said: "He desperately wants to rid himself of his problem with opiates."