A HARD-up young woman who stole a relative's purse after they met by chance at hospital could be facing jail.

Burnley magistrates bailed Rebecca Oxley, 26, until June 22, for a pre-sentence report and told her they were not ruling out custody. Oxley, of Reed Street, Burnley, admitted theft.

The court was told that victim Jean Lawrence and her grandchild were at hospital. She was in a cubicle when she heard the little boy say his auntie's name. She then noticed her purse was missing and contacted the police.

Richard Taylor, defending, said it was almost a year since Oxley had been in trouble.

Before then she had regularly been before the courts but her offending rate was slowing down.

Oxley went to the hospital for legitimate purposes and met her nephew.

She was tempted and took the purse, which belonged to a grandmother from the other side of the family.

The victim was a distant relative.

The purse was recovered. At the time the defendant's benefits had been stopped.