ANTHONY Dennison admitted to two burglaries in an attempt to wipe the slate clean before his girlfriend gives birth to their first child in December.

Blackburn magistrates heard that Dennison walked up to patrolling police officers and made his candid confession.

The court was told that, but for that, the offences would still be on the books as undetected burglaries. Dennison, 28, of Cherry Tree Lodge, Islington, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to burglary at a house in Melville Drive, Blackburn, and theft of property worth £1,400 and asked for an offence of burglary at the Islington Motel to be taken into consideration. He was committed on bail to Preston Crown Court for sentence.

Teresa Feeley, prosecuting, said the owner of the house in Melville Drive had gone away for a long weekend and had unfortunately left the front door open. Dennison had taken some property, sold it to buy drugs and then returned and took more.

Robin Phoenix, defending, said that Dennison had tackled his heroin problem and is now on a methadone reduction programme and his confession to police was made to finish of wiping the slate clean.