A MAN who started dealing in drugs after trying to use heroin as a painkiller has been jailed for five years.

Thomas Lamont was involved in supplying the Class A drug and then while on police bail, burgled a house.

The 32-year-old, formerly of Poole Street, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to three offence of drug supplying, one of drug possession and another charge of burglary.

Miss Laura Barbour, prosecuting, said two undercover officers working on the police operation Nimrod, pretended that they were looking to score drugs last May.

Lamont sold a £15 heroin wrap to one officer and went on to give his phone number, for any future contact over purchases.

On another date, his DNA was found on a heroin wrap supplied to the officer. Another £10 wrap was supplied on a further date in May.

The defendant was later found in possession of two wraps of the drug.

Miss Barbour said Lamont was on police bail when he carried out the burglary in July in Thorn Hill Close, Blackburn.

The prosecution said that in police interview Lamont claimed, in effect, that he had been acting as a Good Samaritan at the time.

"He said he had seen someone in, went inside himself to make sure no burglars were there and that no-one else would return through an open door."

In June 2003, he was given 42 months custody for burgling one home and one attempted burglary.

Mr Ken Hind, defending, said that following release from an earlier sentence, Lamont had made a go of his life, but lost a job when it was discovered he had a criminal record.

He had trouble in obtaining benefits and began to go downhill. After getting a mouth abcess, he tried to calm the pain by using heroin.

Mr Hind explained: "The result was that he was back on the drugs. Unfortunately he slid back into the old habits."