A FORMER soldier who raided his father's home while he was on holiday is behind bars for 12 months.

Drug addict Antony Groves, 25, sold property he had stolen to feed his habit and told police the premises had already been broken into when he turned up.

Judge Raymond Bennett told the defendant if a son found a relative's home broken into, he would be expected to take measures to make it secure not go in thieving.

Groves, of Edgeside Lane, Waterfoot, admitted burglary and had been committed for sentence by the Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Magistrates.

Roger Baldwin, prosecuting, said in July the defendant's father went on holiday and property to the tune of almost £5,000 was taken from his home in Shawclough Street, Waterfoot.

It was discovered that Groves had sold some of the haul to a second hand shop in Burnley and he was later arrested and interviewed.

He said he had sold a stereo unit for £300 but it was not possible to say exactly what he took from the house.

Henry Blackshaw, defending, said Groves was his parents' only child. The offence was sad and he had started to feel remorse.

The defendant had been weaning himself off drugs while in custody and been able to reflect on how low he had sunk.

It was the first time he had been in custody, he had spent his 25th birthday on remand and, although his parents were not in court, he was in contact with them.

He was anxious to build bridges with them and to make some sense from what he had done

Mr Blackshaw said Groves had been using heroin for three or four years.

He did not have a long record and had not offended at all until he was 21.

Groves had worked in the past and was formerly in the Queen's Lancashire Regiment.

He was not without insight into his own condition.