A CHARITY has criticised the decision to send an alcoholic repeat offender to prison.

Help group The Alcohol and Drug Information Centre said that imprisoning Ernest Miller, who recorded his 118th offence when he appeared at Blackburn magistrates, would do nothing to prevent him re-offending

Miller, 51, of Brookway, Blackburn, was sentenced to 15 weeks in jail when he pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly, two offences of shoplifting and one of failing to attend court. He also admitted being in breach of a probation order imposed for six other shoplifting offences.

Mr Nigel Pearson, service co-ordinator of the centre, based in Burnley and covering East Lancashire, said: "There are a lot of public disorder offences in relation to alcohol and there has to be a multi-disciplinary approach, but locking somebody up and giving them no help is unlikely to work.

"A prison sentence will work as long as they can't get their hands on any booze, but the moment they are released will normally be followed by a relapse into the same behaviour as before they went to prison."

Miller has a total of 51 previous convictions totalling 118 offences over the past 31 years and his life was described as "one sad mess, alcohol being the main problem" by district judge Jonathon Finestein.

Miller's solicitor Michael Blacklidge, of Forbes and Partners, of Blackburn, said his client had a criminal record dating back to 1969, which included 95 convictions for theft, mostly alcohol-related.

He said he had been given numerous chances on probation orders to stay away from offending but had not taken them.