A CAREER criminal who pinched flagstones from a grave is back behind bars - this time for more than three years.

Burnley Crown Court heard how Thomas Leverett, 45, was followed in his car from Burnley Cemetery by the assistant operations manager. He claimed he had gone to pay respects to a friend who had just died and to weed his grandmother's grave.

Leverett, who was also found with an accomplice in a house by police as they were about to raid it and has flouted court orders, was jailed for three years and 14 days.

His co-defendant Michael Duckworth, 23, was sent to prison for two years.

Sentencing, Judge Raymond Bennett said the pair had been given chances, but had done nothing except commit more crime. He told Leverett, who has 25 previous convictions for burglary, the gravestones theft was "particularly nasty and mean".

Leverett, of Florence Avenue, Burnley, admitted burglary and had been committed for sentence by magistrates after being convicted of theft and faced resentence after breaching community punishment and community rehabilitation orders. He had also pleaded guilty to failing to surrender. Duckworth, of Harold Avenue, Burnley, admitted burglary.

Paul Hague, for Duckworth, described him as an amiable man who had worked for most of the time since leaving school. The defendant had qualified as a football referee. He had had a drug habit for two years which put financial pressure on him. He had been on a drugs awareness course and was motivated to change.

For Leverett, Tim Ashmole said the defendant had pleaded guilty. He had committed a number of offences and the court could bear in mind the totality principle when sentencing.