TWO youths who committed burglaries to raise funds for their heroin habit have received custodial sentences of 21 months each.

Preston Crown Court was told that the defendants left footprints behind.

Hugh McGeough, 20, of Bombay Street, Blackburn, and Lee Almond, 22, of Griffin Street, Blackburn, both admitted burgling a plumber's in Top Bank, Blackburn, between January 17 and 18, where equipment worth £1,525 was taken, and burgling a house in Buncer Lane on January 19 while the family were out. Property worth more than £3,000 was taken.

McGeough also admitted burgling a house on Worcester Road, Blackburn, between December 22 and 23.

Almond admitted theft of a purse containing £60 from an employee of the Cemetery pub in Whalley New Road, Blackburn. He also admitted stealing a power saw from a building site also in Whalley New Road. He also admitted two counts of handling stolen goods.

Mr Roger Green, prosecuting, told the court that at many of the crime scenes footprints were found which later matches the footwear of the defendantsf-z.

Mr Jacob Dyer, defending McGeough, said his offending was drug related. McGeough, a father-of-two, had been involved with drugs from a very early age. He had used heroin, but then used other drugs. He resumed taking heroin last year.

Mr Simon Newell, defending Almond, said the explanation for the offences was his addiction to heroin. Almond had been working. His partner was a heroin addict. He funded her habit and fell into taking heroin. He then lost his job. Almond, who had a child, came from a good family. He had now tested clean for drugs.