A 46-YEAR-old man has been jailed for six months for his part in a credit card fraud.

Blackburn magistrates heard that John Royston Squire visited travel agents to buy airline tickets and thousands of pounds worth of euros after a mystery female had "set the scene" by phoning and outlining the needs of a Mr Taylor.

But the court heard an assistant in a Burnley shop became suspicious and Squire walked out leaving behind a stolen credit card and driving licence which he had been using for identification.

Squire, of Hood Street, Accrington, pleaded guilty to handling a stolen driving licence, credit card and switch card, four charges of obtaining property by deception and two attempted deceptions.

Silvia Dacre, prosecuting, said on October 9 the owner, a Mr Taylor, discovered that £8,500 had been debited from his accounts and realised at that stage that his cards were missing.

She said the offences had started on October 7 when an unknown woman rang Going Places in Blackburn and arranged for a Mr Taylor to come in and pay for flights to Dublin.

In fact Squire went to the shop and paid for the flight tickets and at the same time got £5,000 worth of euros.

On the same day a woman phoned Travel World in Blackburn and arranged for Mr Taylor to come and collect tickets for Dublin.

The man who attended the shop again tried to get £5,000 worth of euros. They were not available and it was suggested he return to collect them at a later stage.

The following day the fraud was repeated at the Travel Centre in Burnley where the female caller had arranged for eight tickets to Amsterdam and £5,000 worth of euros.

Miss Dacre said Squire was traced from a finger print from his first attendance at Going Places and later identified by staff at the other shops. Phillip Smithies, defending, said Squire's life had been at an all time low when he had been approached by two men in a pub.

His wife had kicked him out because of his drinking and gambling, he was in debt and the men offered a quick fix.

Mr Smithies said the offences were committed out of desperation and that only on the first occasion was any cash actually handed over.

"All these shops are equipped with closed circuit TV and there was never any long-term prospect of him getting away with these offences," said Mr Smithies.

"When he walked out of the Burnley shop he knew it would not be long before he got his collar felt."