A TEENAGE thief who repeatedly targeted a 90-year-old Blackburn widow after gaining her trust has been jailed for 18 months.

And today the victim's family welcomed the sentence but said no punishment could be enough for the distress the youth had caused.

District judge Paul Firth said in his view the 15-year-old should previously have been sent to crown court where he would have received a sentence measured in years rather than months.

He added: "Anyone who targets elderly victims who trusted them as a visitor has to be dealt with by an immediate custodial sentence and nothing else."

Mr Firth also imposed an Anti-social Behaviour Order (ASBO), which bans the boy from entering the area bounded by Montague Street, Preston New Road, Saunders Road, Garden Street, Bank Top and King Street, where Hilda Morgan lives, from the day he is released.

After the case, Hilda's son-in-law, Jim Whitaker, 61, of St Mark's Road, Blackburn, said: "Nothing could ever be enough for me after what he did but in the scheme of things it is better than we expected. I am more bothered that my mother-in-law gets compensation.She has never been the same since all this happened. She will never get her things back so he should be made to pay for them."

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to three charges of burglary and one of theft and was made subject to a detention and training order. A referral order imposed in October for two offences of theft, one involving Mrs Morgan and a 72-year-old woman, was revoked.

Eddie Harrison, prosecuting, said: "Within a week of being dealt with, he went back and began a spree of offending against the same 90-year-old lady," said Mr Harrison.

He told the court how the boy had known Mrs Morgan as a neighbour. On October 19, she had been out to bingo and returned home with £30 in her handbag. The following day the boy called at her house and was invited in. He asked for a drink of water and while Mrs Morgan was out of the room he stole the money from her purse.

The youth appeared in court and was released on bail for the preparation of reports - but within hours of being bailed he returned to Mrs Morgan's home.

He was remanded to local authority accommodation and the was case adjourned for reports. But a week later, he again went to Mrs Morgan's address at 9.30am.

Stephen Parker, defending, said: "He is an emotionally immature young man who is easily influenced. He began associations with people who were a bad influence."