A TEENAGER who opened bank accounts and then cashed cheques worth more than £20,000 has been caged for eight months.

Natalie Shorrock cashed more than 265 cheques from Halifax accounts she opened before the deception was rumbled.

The 19-year-old, of Wimberley Street, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to eight counts of obtaining property by deception, three of obtaining services by deception, one of handling stolen goods and one of attempting to obtain property by deception.

She asked for 233 other offences to be taken into consideration.

Preston Crown Court heard that between February and June last year, unemployed Shorrock opened four Halifax accounts in her own name but using a false mailing address. When she received a cheque book and cheque guarantee card for the accounts she would report that the cheque book had not arrived or been lost or stolen. She then used the cheques to pay for clothes, hotels and trips to London. She was caught after British Transport police officers became suspicious about a cheque she tried to cash to pay for a trip to London.

Mr John Courtney, prosecuting, said the defendant opened accounts with the Halifax with a small payment which was withdrawn the next day. Having opened the account she received the cheque books and used them knowing there were no funds in the account. Over the five-month period Shorrock cashed cheques to a total value of £22,324.

Julie Taylor, defending, said Shorrock had shown remorse for her actions which she had committed under pressure from her previous boyfriend who lived in London.

Judge Edward Blake sentenced her to eight months in youth custody for each offence, to run concurrently.