A WOMAN went shoplifting to try to fund the trip to her father's funeral.

But when she failed to raise enough cash Rebecca Louise Waldron used the money to "treat" herself to some crack cocaine which she then smoked with friends.

Waldron pleaded guilty at Blackburn magistrates to theft of baby clothes worth £20 from Morrisons and makeup worth £50 from Boots stores in Bacup.

She was sentenced to eight weeks in prison suspended for 12 months with an eight months drug rehabilitation requirement and ordered to pay £70 compensation.

Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said when she was arrested later in the day Waldron admitted selling the items on.

"She said she wanted the money so she could travel to her father's funeral in Stockport," said Miss Allan.

"She didn't raise enough so she said she treated herself to some crack cocaine."

Miss Allan said Waldron had not started offending until 2018 but because of the number of offences that accumulated she ended up being sent to prison.

"She had only just been released in January when she committed another theft for which she was given a conditional discharge and now here she is again," said Miss Allan.

Gareth Price, defending, said the offending started because the 29-year-old, of Market Street, Shawforth, near Bacup, had taken up with a man who introduced her to crack cocaine.

"Since then it has been a very sad downward spiral," said Mr Price.

"In less than 12 months she has gone from having no record for shoplifting to serving a prison sentence for the same.

"She accepts she was stealing to raise money to fund the trip to Stockport but then used what she had made to buy crack cocaine."