A HOMELESS man who burgled a string of locations around Blackburn town centre - including a charity office - has been jailed for 32 months.

Neighbourhood police have welcomed the sentence for Keana Antonio Stephens, 21, by a judge sitting at Preston Crown Court.

Stephens had confessed to six break-ins and asked for a further seven burglaries to be considered by the court.

In the main, the raids had taken place around the town centre, Audley and Whalley Range, according to police.

An earlier hearing before Blackburn magistrates was told that in one of the burglaries, at the offices of the Al Imdaad Foundation in Audley Range, computer equipment worth £2,750 was stolen.

Alex Mann, prosecuting, said the offences, which were committed in December and January, had occurred soon after a community order had been imposed for similar offences.

At a takeaway on Copy Nook £1,500 worth of damage was caused to the roof and another a door and casing were damaged, the court heard. The owner paid for the door to be replaced and fitted a new padlock but Stephens returned two weeks later and again forced the door.

An official at St Paul's Working Men's Club on Montague Street arrived to find Stephens emerging from the beer drop. He claimed he had been looking for somewhere to sleep.

Stephens ran off when the official said he was ringing the police. It was later discovered that snooker cues, alcohol and a Galaxy tablet with a total value of £2,183 had been stolen.

Gareth Price, defending, said his client was homeless at the time and "desperate".

He said when he found out the Al Imdaad Foundation was a charitable organisation his client was horrified.