A THIEF who pinched football cards from a Spar shop could find himself ending up behind bars, a court was told.

Christopher Wood-rup, 37, had been the subject of a suspended jail term at the time - and now faces being jailed over the £3 cards.

The defendant, of Branch Road, Burnley, admitted theft from the shop in Todmorden Road.

He was bailed until May 3, for an all options pre-sentence report and was banned from the store where the offence took place.

Bill Rawstron, defending, said Woodrup had a "long, bad record," but urged the court not to trigger the suspended term for a £3 theft.

He said the defendant admitted the offence at the outset.

Mr Rawstron said the defendant had had long-standing battle with drugs and that had got him into difficulties in the past.