TWO women who have plagued Nelson and Colne are behind bars after a judge said residents must be "heartily sick of them."

Burnley Magistrates Court heard how mother-of-two Nicola Thomas, 28, and Sarah Ward, 18, who shared a house on Charles Street, Nelson, carried out a catalogue of crime. The duo, who had escaped jail just three weeks earlier, had flouted every single community sentence ever given them and had offended on bail.

Sentencing, District Judge Paul Firth said: "They may wonder what these courts are all about. Today, I hope to give a clear and definite answer to what this court is all about."

The judge said the pair had been given non-custodial sentences on September 12, after admitting theft of a DVD player. They should have gone to prison, they didn't and were very lucky.

Thomas was sent to jail for three months. She admitted allegations of handling stolen goods, threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, being drunk and disorderly and failing to surrender.

Ward, who offended on three sets of bail, was sent to a young offenders' institution for six months. She pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods, theft allegations and failing to surrender.

Peter Wild, prosecuting, told the court the women were present when a shop worker's purse was stolen from a staff room and were arrested in a taxi a short time later.

The defendants were both arrested in the early hours during Colne Blues Festival. Ward was stopped by police because she was on a curfew and Thomas tried to intervene.

Both women were found riding a stolen Motability scooter by police and on another occasion Thomas was abusive to the police and a taxi driver.

Mr Wild said Ward also stole a folding chair from Asda and took a purse containing £40 after walking uninvited into a woman's house.

Dylan Bradshaw, defending both, said the women had confiscated the scooter from some lads and intended to travel on it to the police station and hand it in.