THE manager of a Blackburn town centre bank set a trap after discovering that cash was going missing overnight.

And his unexpected return to the HSBC on Church Street caught cleaner Steven Caddens red-handed as he helped himself from the tills, a court heard.

Caddens, 37, of Sandon Street, Darwen, pleaded guilty to stealing £160 from the HSBC bank and asked for three similar offences involving sums of £120, £130 and £140 to be taken into consideration.

He was remanded on bail until April 16 for the preparation of pre-sentence reports.

Tom Snape, prosecuting, said that on February 3 the branch manager, a Mr Woodhead, became aware that the tills were short by £1,680. He got the chief cashier to check the tills that night and again the following day and he discovered a £120 shortfall. The same checks were made on subsequent nights and further discrepancies discovered.

On February 9 Mr Woodhead left work and met up with his area manager. The two men re-entered the bank and Caddens was present.

They questioned him about bags of coins on the floor behind the counter and Caddens said he had found them behind a bin.

A cabinet which had contained the keys to the tills had been opened and the managers noticed that one till was open and the key still in it.

"When Caddens was challenged for a second time he ran off," said Mr Snape.

When interviewed Caddens said he had found the key to the cabinet "innocently" but had then decided to use it.