A 25-YEAR-OLD woman who moved into a new flat used information gleaned from the previous tenants mail to open an in-store credit account.

Blackburn magistrates heard Lauren Hope Carruthers ran up a debt of £823 in less than three weeks.

Carruthers, of Brook Street, Earby, pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation involving a J D Williams shopping account in the name of Anne-Marie Kirby. She was given a conditional discharge for 12 months and ordered to pay £85 costs and £20 victim surcharge.

Andy Robinson, prosecuting, said Carruthers opened the online shopping account and quickly ran up the debt buying clothing. He said Miss Kirby was not aware of anything until a debt collection company contacted her.

"Clearly that would have been quite disturbing for her," said Mr Robinson. "When she was interviewed the defendant said she had intended paying for the goods but realised her card was in a different name to the account she had opened."

Richard Prew, defending, said his client had no previous convictions and had made full admissions to the offence.

"This happened at a particularly bad time in her life when she was suffering from post-natal depression and wasn't thinking straight," said Mr Prew.