A career crook jailed after he burgled Burnley Town Hall in a bid to raise cash for drugs, has had his prison term cut.

The town's crown court heard how addict David Harward, 44, had been repeatedly seen in the building last August 30, acting suspiciously and trying doors.

The third time he was found, he was in an area which needed a key code to gain access and was removed from the premises.

Three weeks later, last September 23, Harward had sneaked into the staff area at Poundstretcher in Burnley, and had taken a purse. After he was arrested by police, he wouldn't accept it was him when shown CCTV footage from the town hall, but agreed it was him in the shop.

Harward was last October given 12 weeks in custody, suspended for 15 months, after being convicted of burglary with intent at the town hall and burglary. Two weeks ago, Harward, of Deerstone Avenue, Burnley, was locked up a total of 20 weeks by Pennine magistrates, after he had admitted possessing heroin and amphetamine on July 2, in breach of the suspended term. The bench had activated the full 12 weeks of the suspended sentence and added eight weeks on top for the drugs offences.

On Thursday, Harward, who has more than 120 offences on his record, appealed against the sentence at the crown court and Judge Graham Knowles, QC, sitting with two justices, reduced it to a total of 16 weeks.

The appeal hearing was told Harward shouted racial abuse at police when arrested over the drugs. When he was charged, he said :" I am sorry for what I said to the officer."

The appellant has 61 previous convictions, including 66 offences of theft, committed between 1986 and 2013.

Judge Knowles said Harward had a " terrible record" with 122 previous offences on it from the last 28 years.

The judge said the appellant had complied with the suspended sentence for a period, there had been positive engagement and he must have gone to probation appointments and attended court reviews for his drugs rehabilitation requirement.

Judge Knowles, imposing instead 11 weeks of the suspended term and five weeks for the drugs offences added:" He has made an effort even if things have gone wrong at a late stage."