A man was reported to police after he went into a Whalley café for a cup of tea.

Blackburn Magistrates' Court heard the café owner recognised Bernard Rawstron as being banned from the Ribble Valley town under a criminal behaviour order.

The court was told that when he was arrested the following day Rawstron was in possession of items which had been stolen from cars in Clitheroe.

Rawstron, 49, of Leach Street, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to two charges of breaching a criminal behaviour order and two charges of theft from motor vehicles.

He was jailed for 18 weeks and ordered to pay a £154 victim surcharge on release.

Deputy District Judge Jayne Bryan said Rawstron’s “horrendous” record was an aggravating feature.

“The fact you had only been released from prison days earlier is another,” she said. 

Graeme Tindall, prosecuting, said Rawstron had a “horrendous” record with 217 previous convictions almost all of them for vehicle-related offences.

He said Rawstron had gone into a café in Whalley for a cup of tea and was reported to police by the café owner.

Mr Tindall said: "Police were looking for him and found him in Whalley the following day which was another breach of the criminal behaviour order.

"When he was arrested he was found in possession of property stolen from parked cars in Clitheroe that day."

He added Rawstron was subject to prison licence following a jail sentence imposed in April.

Mark Williams, mitigating, said Rawstron had been jailed for six months in April for vehicle theft offences.

Under the early release provisions, he was released after one month, just days before the latest offences.

“He has been recalled on that sentence but it is academic because he is realistic about what will happen today,” said Mr Williams.

“He is what could be described as an old lag and accepts the consequences of what he does.

“He tries car doors and if they are open looks to see what he can steal. If they are locked he does not cause any damage.”