A MAN who posed as a courier before robbing a woman at her Blackburn home, has been jailed for four years.

Armand Choudhry, 25, was one of two men who forced his way into a house in Queen’s Road, Blackburn.

The victim – a 32-year-old woman – was threatened and dragged into the front room where her hands and ankles were bound together with black tape. Both men then made off with a laptop.

The woman, who was left shaken by the ordeal, suffered a fractured vertebrae and was taken to hospital for treatment.

Choudhry, of Hamilton Place, Newcastle, appeared at Preston Crown Court after pleading guilty to robbery after the incident at around 1.30pm on September 29.

Choudhry was arrested after police recovered forensic evidence from the scene which linked him to the offence. He pleaded guilty to robbery on the basis that he did not assault the woman.

PC Gary Keogh said: “This was a pre meditated offence committed against a woman in her own home - it was very frightening and she was left extremely shaken.

“I want to reassure people that this type of attack is rare but where it does occur, police will do everything within their power to bring offenders to justice.

“This should act as a warning to those who travel into Lancashire to commit crime that they will be targeted and could receive a lengthy prison sentence.

“Out efforts to find Choudhry’s accomplice are continuing and I would welcome any information from the public to help us to identify him.”

Anyone with information or concerns about crime can contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.