A MUGGER who helped herself to a woman's handbag is awaiting sentence - while a judge seeks confirmation that claims she has made are true.

Burnley Crown Court heard Amanda Meadowcroft, 26, say she had got a job and given up drugs - but Judge David Pirie said he was not prepared to accept her word.

Sentence on Meadowcroft, of Queen Street, Darwen, was adjourned until May 21 and she was bailed.

She had earlier admitted robbery and attempted deception.

She was warned by the judge that all sentencing options would be open, and that would include custody.

Judge Pirie said he wanted up-to-date tests to prove that Meadowcroft was drug free, to show he was not being "misled".

He added he had been told the defendant got a job two weeks ago and was now told the employment, as a school cleaner, no longer existed.

The judge said he wanted to make sure the job had been a "reality" and "not one of those jobs that appears just before a court sentencing date".

He said: "The defendant has convictions for dishonesty and I am not prepared to accept what she tells me."

The court had been told Meadowcroft robbed the woman of her handbag in Blackburn and then later tried to use one of her credit cards in Morrisons in the town.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.