A TESCO manager who was a convicted robber stole almost £6,000 takings, disappeared and blew it on heroin.

Addict Tahir Hussain, 39, stuffed the cash from the safe at Tesco Express, Colne, into his pockets, left the store, got a train to London and stayed there for a month until he had spent up.

He then returned, handed himself into police and claimed the store owed him money and his wife had thrown him out as he had not been taking any wages home, Burnley Crown Court was told.

The hearing was told how Hussain had a criminal record going back 24 years to 1986 and had committed dishonesty offences when he was a youth.

He also had many other previous convictions for other offences, including robbery, theft and perverting the course of justice, and had served jail terms.

He was said to have been swiftly promoted to manager within five weeks of starting work at the Colne shop and had been given keys to the safe.

The defendant admitted theft of £5,788 in August at an earlier hearing and had been committed for sentence by magistrates.

He was jailed for eight months and may face a proceeds of crime hearing.

Sentencing him, Recorder Nigel Grundy said the offence was a "clear breach of trust" after he had been taken on at Tesco and given a position of responsibility.

He said: "One might say that in itself is curious, given your previous convictions."

The judge said Hussain, who had breached every court order he had been given, had been greedy and had spent all the proceeds on himself, not his wife and family.

Sarah Statham, prosecuting, said it seemed "rather strange" the defendant became a manager at Tesco, in view of his record.

On the day of the theft Hussain went to work at 2pm and his shift was due to end at 11pm.

At about 8.50pm, a staff member phoned another manager and told him the defendant had left the store and not returned.

The other manager came back to the shop and Hussain was still missing.

He then found cash had gone from the safe and the defendant's keys had been used.

Miss Statham said police were called and when the till receipts were gone though, it was found £5,788 had been taken.

Hussain never returned to the shop and was dismissed.

The defendant was arrested in October and questioned. He made full admissions.

Hussain told police he had been working at Colne for four to five weeks, had been quickly promoted to manager and felt he had not been trained particularly well for the job.

Miss Statham said he claimed he had worked without pay, presumably because he was paid monthly rather then weekly, and it was causing problems at home.

He told officers his wife was upset he had not been bringing home any money and had thrown him out just before the theft.

The defendant said he had not intended to take the cash, but had "cracked", decided he was going home, stuffed the cash into his pockets.

He claimed he wanted to get back at Tesco as, he felt, they owed him money.

He added he was deeply sorry for what he had done and apologised to store staff for causing any problems.

The court was told Hussain, of Stirling Drive, Blackburn, had previous convictions for robbery, theft, burglary, deception, handling stolen goods, violence, perverting the course of justice, driving whilst disqualified and harassment Clare Thomas, for Hussain, said at the time of the offence he had been in the grip of a heroin addiction.

Hussain stayed in bed and breakfasts in London, spent his time taking drugs and when the money ran out, came back and handed himself in.

Tesco declined to comment.