AN 18-year-old Clitheroe man burgled his employer to finance his 'mother-in-law's' crack cocaine habit, a court was told.

Blackburn magistrates heard Gordon Barry Burgess ran up a debt of more than £3,000 as he was pressured into helping the mother of his pregnant partner.

Burgess, of Curzon Street, pleaded guilty to burglary at Neotech Engineering and theft of £80 in cash.

He was made subject to a community rehabilitation order for 12 months, ordered to do 60 hours community service and pay £130 compensation.

John Wilson, prosecuting, said a DNA profile of blood found on a broken pane of glass had matched with Burgess, who was arrested two months after the offence.

At first he claimed he had cut his hand at work which explained why his blood was in the canteen.

Basharat Ditta, defending, said Burgess was involved in a relationship with a young lady who was four-and-a-half month pregnant and they had moved in with her mother.

"Unfortunately that lady has a serious crack cocaine addiction and there were certain demands put on my client," said Mr Ditta. "He has been left with a debt of more £3,000 as a direct result of the pressure she put on him for money."