A WOMAN shopped her brother to the police after seeing a social media picture of a man stealing a charity box which she recognised as him.

Blackburn magistrates heard Kayleigh Greenalgh and her family where so ashamed of his behaviour they all chipped in to raise £500 which they donated to the charity which aims to help three-year-old Oliver Welch who is suffering from a rare form of cancer.

And the court was told Christopher Derbyshire, who was high on 'Spice', spent the £13 he stole on more of the drug.

Derbyshire, 35, of Dunoon Drive, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to theft of a charity bucket belonging to Oliver's Neuroblastoma Appeal from the Funtazia play centre in Blackburn.

He was jailed for 10 weeks.

Tracy Yates, prosecuting, said the bucket was on the reception desk at Funtazia on Kent Street. As soon as staff realised it was missing they checked the CCTV which showed a man removing it.

"They published a still from the video on their Facebook site which was recognised by his sister, Kayleigh Greenhalgh," said Mrs Yates. "She was so upset she revealed his identity and then she and her family arranged to donate £500 to the charity.

"While this was going on he phoned her and asked if he could have his benefits paid into her bank account.

"She said no and told him what had happened."

When he was interviewed Derbyshire said he was under the influence of Spice and didn't realise it was a charity collection bucket. He said he had spent the £13.17 on food and more Spice.

The court was told Derbyshire was subject to prison licence but had been thrown off a probation service programme because he turned up under the influence of drugs.

Colleen Dickinson-Jones, defending, said the charity did inadvertently benefit from her client's actions.