A MAN who stole three terracotta pots worth £600 and sold them to a reclamation yard for just £35 was given a chance to redeem himself and the pots.

A district judge sitting at Blackburn magistrates told Jason Mills that she would give him until the following day to return to court with the pots and so avoid paying compensation.

But the court was told that Mills failed in his mission and absented himself from court before the judge could pass sentence.

Mills, 32, of Chester Close, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to theft of the pots from outside a house in Parsonage Road, Wilpshire, and asked for the theft of an ornamental chimney pot from another address to be taken into consideration. He was made subject to a community rehabilitation order for 12 months and ordered to pay £350 compensation.

Andrew Church-Taylor, defending, said Mills had tried to take advantage of the opportunity afforded him by the judge without success.

"The district judge thought more good could come of him recovering the pots but unfortunately he returned empty handed," said Mr Church-Taylor.

"The people at the reclamation yard, who had paid only £35 for the pots, refused to return them and the end result is that he appears before you in custody after the district judge issued a warrant for his arrest.