A WOMAN who handled coins stolen from an elderly woman's home was brought to justice with the help of her family.

Suspicions were aroused when relatives realised that the foreign coins Angela Johnstone had were linked to a raid at the address of an 80-year-old in Accrington.

The police were contacted - and now Johnstone has been given a suspended prison sentence.

The 31-year-old mother-of-six, of Craven Street, Accrington, pleaded guilty to a handling charge.

She had handled foreign coins stolen during a burglary on a woman's home in Tremellen Street, Accrington.

Judge Andrew Gilbart QC sentenced Johnstone to four months prison, suspended for two years, with two years supervision and 18 months drug rehabilitation.

He told her: "This was a mean offence.

"I accept you didn't realise the handbag had come from an elderly woman.

"Your family did the right thing by you. They would not put up with what had happened and reported it."

Mrs Hilary Banks, prosecuting at Preston Crown Court, said that a man had been charged with burgling the home of the woman, now aged 81.

A handbag had been stolen from her and foreign coins were also taken at the same time in October last year.

The matter came to the attention of the police after the defendant gave a relative some foreign coins.

Mrs Banks told the court: "The family recognised it was the same incident because they had seen a newspaper article about the house burglary.

They realised the defendant had been involved and reported it to the police."

The defendant had previous offences of handling on her record, the court was told.

Mr Wayne Goldstein, defending, said: "The defendant was not aware initially where the bag had come from.

"That night she had gone out with someone else to get drugs. The other person went to meet a drug dealer and came back with the handbag.

"She received no benefit from the offence."