SERIAL shoplifter Christopher Hindle was jailed for six months by Blackburn magistrates after throwing away the "last chance" he had been given on a previous occasion.

The court heard that Hindle had been remanded to the Accrington bail hostel for assessment but had continued taking drugs and eventually left to live in an Accrington squat.

Hindle, 27, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to six offences of shoplifting, using threatening behaviour, dishonestly receiving a credit card and failing to surrender to bail.

He was sentenced to a total of six months in prison after the chairman of the bench said he had breached previous court orders, including the recent bail assessment, and that no other sentence was appropriate.

Margaret Duckworth, prosecuting, detailed the offences which dated back to November. After being detained by staff at Currys, where he stole a computer mouse, Hindle became abusive and was charged with threatening behaviour.

Mrs Duckworth said Hindle had an extensive record for theft and related offences over the last 11 years. She said he had received all sorts of sentences including custody.

"It is a record which shows continuous offending throughout the years, and there is little in the way of gaps in the record," said Mrs Duckworth.

Abid Sarwar, defending, said all Hindle's offending was related to his heroin addiction and his client accepted that he had failed to gasp the latest opportunity offered to him.

Mr Sarwar said Hindle realised things were not going right at the bail hostel and had simply packed his bags and left. "He wanted to clear his head," said Mr Sarwar. "He knew he faced the prospect of custody and wanted some time to himself.

"Yesterday he flagged down a police car and told the officer he was wanted on a warrant. To be honest he had had enough and wanted to get sorted out."

Mr Sarwar said Hindle's heroin habit at one time cost him £30 a day.

"He got £42 a week in benefits and clearly those sums do not add up," said Mr Sarwar. "He says at the height of his drug problem his life meant nothing. He was constantly in pain and used to wake up feeling sick. The only way he could ease the pain was to get drugs."