A CAREER raider who had been let off jail for burgling 12 properties in the Accrington area, has now been locked up by another judge, who said the original sentence was "astonishing”.

Burnley Crown Court heard how drug addict, Paul Almond, 37, who had committed 70 offences in a life of crime, many of them break-ins, had been given a suspended prison term after targeting two homes and owning up to 10 other offences.

Almond, who has a wife and family, had gone on to flout almost every part of the suspended sentence order, but claimed he overslept.

The defendant, of Prospect Street, Great Harwood, admitted breaching the suspended term and was jailed for 48 weeks.

Almond has earlier apologised to his victims face -to-face during a meeting at Accrington Police Station as part of "restorative justice" where crooks and their victims talk things through.

The scheme is used to help offenders think about how their crimes affect others.

PC Clare Wall, who had chaired the meeting, had said at the time: "Almond apologised for causing so much distress and explained that the reason he had committed the burglaries was to support his family."

She had continued: "All the victims were very angry and were pleased they had the chance to tell Almond how he affected them. All said they felt much better as a result of the meeting."

Richard Bennett, prosecuting for the Probation Office at the breach hearing, said Almond had been given two years in prison, suspended for two years, with 200 hours unpaid work, a curfew and a six month drugs programme, last August. He had pleaded guilty to two charges of burglary and had asked for 10 offences to be considered.

Mr Bennett said Almond had failed to turn up for unpaid work, did not seem committed in any way to the order and the probation service thought the suspended term should be activated.

Judge Beverley Lunt told Almond he had been given the " most astonishing chance" when he had originally been sentenced .