A SHOPLIFTER with more than 160 offences on her record went out thieving the day after she was sentenced for doing the same thing, a court heard.

Heroin addict Amanda Kerr, 33, had appeared before Burnley magistrates on Tuesday, when she had been given a six-month community order and drugs programme for three counts of theft.

But by Wednesday, she was out stealing again and walked out of the town's Tesco store with a trolley laden with goods worth £204.

Kerr, who has recorded 86 previous offences for theft, had wanted the haul to sell for heroin, but was caught bagging up the property and it was recovered.

She has been given several drugs programmes in the past, has been to jail repeatedly and was released in March.

The defendant, of Leyland Road, Burnley, admitted theft on June 4. She is now back behind bars again, this time for eight weeks, after the bench told her she had been given a last chance, but didn't take it.

The chairman told her: “We have no confidence that you will comply with any court order and stop offending.”

Prosecutor Tracy Yates said when the defendant was interviewed, she fully admitted what she had done and said she had gone into the store without money, intending to steal. Mark Williams, defending, said when she went to custody in March, Kerr had been on subutex, a blocker, not the heroin substitute methadone.

She had been put on methadone and a prescription should have been ready for her on her release, but wasn't.

Kerr tried to buy methadone on the streets, went back to misusing heroin and was now addicted. She had referred herself to the drugs agency, Inspire, and was due to see the doctor there soon and, when she appeared in court on Tuesday, had said she needed help. She was now withdrawing from drugs.

Mr Williams, who said the defendant's record was 'appalling', added: “She really does want help. I didn't anticipate she would be back quite as quickly as this when I was addressing your colleagues on Tuesday.”