A ONE-TIME prolific crook went back to his old ways and raided his own doctor's surgery as well as a charity shop and a firm of Accrington solicitors, a court heard.

Addict William McCann, 42, had gone 12 years without drugs after a year-long spell in rehabilitation, and had had a job and two children.

But, he "fell off the wagon" the day of his brother's funeral when he saw some heroin users he knew, was given a bag of drugs and started using it again.

Burnley Crown Court was told how McCann stole costume jewellery from the British Heart Foundation in Accrington and a laptop from Haworth and Nuttall Solicitors.

He had smashed his way into the company as well as the Abbey Surgery, in Abbey Street, and had left blood at the law firm and fingerprints at the medial practice.

The defendant had also broken into a car and stolen a purse, with bank cards, a driving licence and store cards and cash, to the tune of £240. McCann, who was identified by his DNA, went on the crime spree not long after he had been given a suspended sentence.

McCann, an ex-employee of Accrington Nori brick works, has almost 100 offences on his record and has been to jail several times.

The defendant, of Wellington Street, Accrington, is now back behind bars again, this time for 60 weeks, after admitting burglary allegations and theft.

Emma Kehoe, prosecuting, said McCann caused £300 damage to the Canon Street solicitors, between February 14 and 17, searched all the rooms and also stole a Bible, briefcase and voice recorder.

On February 17, he forced open a window at the surgery. He was arrested on February 21, at Sandfield Road, Bacup, where costume jewellery taken from the charity shop was found.

He was later questioned, owned up to the shop and surgery offences but said he could not remember the Haworth and Nuttall break-in. The prosecutor said: "When faced with overwhelming evidence, he said he must have committed it, but it was all down to drugs."

McCann had 95 previous offences on his record, including 22 of burglary and committed his first when he was about 15. He has also previously burgled Accrington Health Centre and taken a laptop.

Daniel King, for McCann, said he was using cannabis at the age of 11 and heroin by the time he was 17.

In 2001, he had gone into Chadderton Hey at Edenfield, to sort out his drugs problem. He later worked at the brick works for eight or nine years until he was made redundant.