A HEROIN addict who stole to feed her habit had used up her "last chance" and was sent to prison for 56 days by Blackburn magistrates.

Lisa Matthews, 22, of Franklin Street, Darwen, pleaded guilty previously to two offences of shoplifting, one of handling, three failures to answer bail and breach of a probation order.

Stipendiary magistrate Jonathon Finestein said Matthews had been taking heroin for a long time and had got into a rut. "You have been given probation and conditional discharges and you breached your latest probation order in dramatic style," he said.

Kevin Preston, defending, said that this time last year Matthews had a boyfriend, also an addict, and they were fighting the problem together.

"Unfortunately it has all gone horribly wrong," said Mr Preston. "He has been sent to prison for an assault. That was a devastating blow but then her father died and events have forced her back into this situation."

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