A SHOPLIFTER was caught after he had pang of conscience and went back in to a store to return a stolen jacket to the shelves.

Christopher Lytollis was seen by staff at Debenhams in Blackburn taking the £90 item of clothing but left before he could be detained.

But staff were amazed to see him return four hours later and try to return it.

He was caught on CCTV, last weekend, and when he was stopped he said his actions had been sparked by guilt, a court was told.

But the court heard how his guilt was short-lived - as he was caught shoplifting again the day after being caught.

Lytollis, 39, of Pump Street, Blackburn, who had also been shoplifting in the store two days before his change of heart, admitted three shoplifting offences and was bailed for pre-sentence reports by Blackburn magistrates.

After the hearing he said he just wanted to get his life back on track.

Explaining why he returned to the scene of his crime, he said: "I just wanted to prove a point.

"I was just sick and tired of what I was doing and had a change of heart. I am 39 and getting a bit old for all this."

Carlisle-born Lytollis said he had held down a number of jobs - he was a refuse collector and postman - before he began taking heroin in 2001.

He is hopeful that when he goes back to court he will receive a community order which will help him to address his problems.

Roger Pickles, defending, said: "When he stole the jacket from Debenhams he was drunk but when he had sobered up a few hours later he had a fit of conscience and took it back."

He said Lytollis was battling a heroin habit and had been suffering from addiction transferral to alcohol.

John Wood, prosecuting, said the first offence was detected when Lytollis was spoken to by police, who thought he was acting suspiciously. They found him wearing a jacket stolen from Debenhams which still had the labels in.

Lytollis was charged and bailed and two days later he was seen by staff removing a £90 jacket from Debenhams.

"On this occasion, to the amazement of staff, he was seen a few hours later putting the jacket back on the shelf it had come from," said Mr Wood. "He was detained and said his actions had been sparked by a guilty conscience."

The guilt soon faded because he was arrested the following day stealing from TK Maxx, the court heard.

"This time the police kept him in custody because they had got fed up of having to arrest him having released him on bail," added Mr Wood.