A CAREER criminal who provided the "muscle" in a terrifying robbery has failed in a challenge against his potentially life-long sentence.

Craig Greatorex, 30, of Alexander Close, Accring-ton, was convicted of robbing George Sharples when he appeared at Burnley Crown Court in May last year.

He was given a indefinite term of imprisonment for public protection (IPP) and ordered to serve at least three years and 193 days behind bars before he could apply for parole.

An IPP is almost identical to a life sentence in that those serving them are only freed once they have convinced the Parole Board they are no longer a danger to the public.

At London's Court of Appeal, Greatorex chal-lenged the IPP, with top judges hearing that he should have received an ordinary "determinate" sentence and, if not, the minimum term was too long.

But Mr Justice Cooke, sitting with Lord Justice Thomas and Mr Justice Silber, dismissed the appeal as "unarguable".

The court heard that Greatorex, who had numerous previous convictions, acted as a "muscle man" during the robbery of Mr Sharples, which took place at around 6pm on December 15 last year.

Mr Sharples was stabbed in the leg three times at his own home before eventually being robbed of £110.

His partner and young child were present in the house at the time.

Greatorex did not land any of the blows, and claimed he had been acting under pressure from the man who was carrying the knife and did not participate in the robbery.

However his version of events was disbelieved by the jury.