A MAN was told to 'bring a bag for jail' if he did not complete enough unpaid work after he breached a suspended sentence order.

The court heard David Pye, 40, did not show up for unpaid work commitments on December 11, 2017, and May 27, this year.

Pye had failed to keep in touch with probation officers and did not tell them he could not attend, Burnley Crown Court heard.

Richard Bennett, prosecuting, said the defendant had his children over the weekends and could not get to the unpaid work.

He said: "He works full time as a plasterer.

"He did not let probation or social services know of his situation.

"He told me he was going to take six weeks off work and, in his own words, 'blitz' the unpaid work requirement."

Pye was given the suspended sentence after pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and driving while disqualified in October 2017.

At the time Blackburn magistrates heard David Pye raced through a residential area of Accrington in the middle of the day as he tried to avoid arrest.

Pye, formerly of Howard Close, Accrington, representing himself in the court, said: "I'm totally committed to (the work) in the next four weeks."

The court heard Pye had completed an activity requirement programme set out in his suspended sentence order, and had completed a number of the unpaid work hours.

Judge Philip Barry said Pye would return to court on July 27 and must have worked a proportion of the unpaid hours.

He said: "I'm not going to set a number, the more the better for you.

"I don't want you to take your foot off the gas.

"You have 131.5 hours to do.

"You must do as much as possible.

"That will save you from prison."

When warned about not completing enough work, Judge Barry said: "Bring a bag with you and put arrangements in place because it will be prison unless you persuade me otherwise."