TWO men who stole a CD player from a car parked overnight were equipped with children's walkie-talkies to help in the enterprise.

Blackburn magistrates heard that Paul Cottam kept watch while Brian Taylor ripped the top of a Ford escort convertible and removed the CD player and a quantity of CDs together worth £320.

And after hearing of the nocturnal activities the magistrates said they were considering an electronic tagging and curfew order against Taylor because of his previous convictions.

Taylor, 33, and Cottam, 28, both of Hancock Street, Blackburn, both pleaded guilty to theft of property.

Taylor also admitted handling a stolen generator worth £360 and asked for two further offences of theft from motor vehicles to be taken into consideration.

The court heard that he was already subject to a community rehabilitation order and in breach of two conditional discharges and ordered the preparation of a report on his suitability for a tagging and curfew order.

Cottam was ordered to pay £187 compensation, half the cost of the damage to the car, and £50 costs.

Neil White, prosecuting, said the car had been left secure in Jessie Street, Blackburn, and a neighbour alerted police after he was woken by the sound of the roof being ripped.

He also heard talking and electronic beeping during the commission of the offence and both men were later found to have children's walkie-talkies.

Basharat Ditta, defending Taylor, said the offence had not been a precision, military style operation.

There was a lot of noise, the neighbour was alerted by the sound of ripping and both men were caught just around the corner with the stolen property still in their possession, said Mr Ditta.

Jonathon Taylor, for Cottam, said his client accepted that he had acted as lookout.

Passing sentence on Taylor the magistrates said that, in view of his recent history of offending, they felt there needed to be a restriction on his liberty.