A CONVICTED thief, who reoffended within two months of being put on probation, has been sent to prison for eight months.

Blackburn magistrates heard that Thomas McClung had made no contact with the probation service since an order was made by Burnley magistrates in May.

And in the meantime, he had been one of a group of men who broke into Darwen Football Club and stole £200 from the gaming machines.

McClung, 21, of Hawthorne Avenue, Darwen, pleaded guilty to burglary at the football club, breach of a probation order imposed for theft, and unlawful taking of a car and using threatening behaviour. He was sentenced to a total of eight months in custody.

David Macro, prosecuting, said two gaming machines were forced at the football club and £300 damage had been done to the machines.

The threatening behaviour charge arose when McClung was spotted by two officers, late at night, acting suspiciously. When they approached him, he ran into a garden and when the officers gave chase, he became very aggressive and there was a struggle.

Basharat Ditta, defending, said McClung had a problem with drink which was behind all the offences.

He said the probation order had not had chance to take effect and urged stipendiary magistrate Jonathon Finestein to allow McClung to show that he could work with the probation service.

But Mr Finestein said McClung had not even bothered to turn up to one appointment with the probation service.

Mr Finestein said: "There is no option but an immediate custodial sentence, and people who simply laugh at orders of the court must expect to go straight to prison."