CLITHEROE landlord John Spalding spotted his wife's missing jacket being worn by a man leaving the pub, a court was told.

Blackburn magistrates heard that it was later discovered that two other jackets were missing from the Old Post House Hotel.

Gavin Marcus Owen, 19, of Livesey Branch Road, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to theft and failing to surrender to bail. He was fined £125 and ordered to pay £150 costs.

Jonathan Taylor, defending, said the offences went back to January 2002 and since then, Owen had been sentenced to 18 months in prison for an offence of burglary.

"Had he mentioned this outstanding offence at the time it is unlikely he would have got a longer sentence," said Mr Taylor.