A ROBBER jailed for three and a half years has had his total prison term cut so he will only have to serve half instead of two-thirds.

Christopher Mather, 26, had earlier been ordered by Judge Barbara Watson to serve the 168 days unexpired from a previous sentence as well as the three and a half years, Burnley Crown Court heard.

The court was yesterday told he was then already serving two months for shoplifting which meant he would have become a "long-term prisoner", serving at least four years, by a matter of days.

That would have meant him serving two-thirds of the term and not half, as the judge had intended.

Judge Watson said Mather , of Olive Street, Bacup, must still serve the three and a half years for the robbery, but reduced the unserved portion to 150 days.