A MAN sneaked into a mosque intending to steal a pair of shoes left at the door by a worshipper.

But he had to hide when he was disturbed and ended up being locked inside the mosque when the congregation went home.

Blackburn magistrates heard that the following morning, people attending for morning prayer found a broken window but it had been smashed from the inside.

Terrence Johnston, 31, of Coleridge Street, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to burglary at Madressa Talimul Islam, Stansfeld Street, and theft of two Dyson vacuum cleaners.

He was remanded on bail for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.

Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said the secretary of the mosque had locked the building at about 7.50pm and everything was intact.

When a broken window was found the next morning, a DNA sample matched with Johnston.

"He told police he had gone to the mosque with the intention of stealing a pair of shoes," said Miss Allan.

"After being locked in, he stole the cleaners and sold them for £30 to buy methadone."

Clare Knight, defending, said Johnston had suffered a heroin addiction for a number of years.

"He is trying to reduce that by using methadone which he doesn't get on prescription," said Miss Knight.

"You may feel he is trying to help himself and the intervention of the probation service may help to take him to the next level."