A 28-YEAR-OLD Blackburn man who stole from mosques to finance his heroin habit was given a chance to show he wanted to beat his addiction.

Blackburn magistrates heard that Salim Ali had been accepted for a residential drug rehabilitation programme run by the Thomas (Those on the Margins of Society) Project.

And Pam Baldwin, defending, urged the magistrates to give him the chance to prove his commitment by deferring sentence until after the 12-week programme had finished.

"If he doesn't come back to court having successfully completed the course he can fully expect to go to prison," said Mrs Baldwin. "If he was sent into custody today his problems would not be solved. If he is ever going to have a chance to beat his addiction, this is it."

Ali, of Palmer Road, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to two offences of burglary, one at a mosque on Audley Range and one at a mosque on Cumberland Street and asked for four similar offences to be taken into consideration. The court heard that he had previous convictions for theft from mosques

Sentence was deferred until December 20 to give Ali time to complete the 12 week course, for him to get together the £300 compensation claimed by the mosques and not to re-offend in the meantime.