A HOUSE-caller turned burglar when he knocked at the door of a Longridge home in search of a 'neighbour'.

Three days later Lee Haworth returned and tried to raid the address on Chapel Brow.

The 24-year-old, of no fixed address, appeared at Preston Crown Court accused of two offences of burglary and one of attempted burglary.

Mark Lamberty, prosecuting, said the defendant struck in November last year.

On the first date he said he was looking for someone living on the same street, then allegedly stole a key from the door.

Three days later he returned to the home.

A boy was in the house when he heard rattling on the door.

Again Haworth claimed to be looking for someone.

The youngster telephoned his dad and on his advice rang the police.

The other burglary offence involved Haworth stealing items from the garage of an address on Lower Lane, Longridge, in January.

Afterwards he left a couple of items near a church and the owner managed to recover these.

However, a chain saw and hedge trimmer worth £400 were not found. Mr Russell Edmondson, defending, said prison did not seem to have had any useful effect on Haworth.

He was addicted to heroin at the time.