Shop lift pair took cheese and meat

A shoplifting couple went pinching to raise cash for their bus fare home '“ but took cheese and meat worth more than Â£100, a court heard.

Prolific crook Dale Bottomley (36) and Barrie Pounder (35) helped themselves to the haul from Waterfoot Co-op to try and sell the goods to travel home to Burnley. Their benefits had been stopped at the time.

Burnley magistrates were told how one of the drug-addicted pair took the meat and the other the cheese on June 18th.

Bottomley and Pounder, said to share one to two bags of heroin a day, each admitted theft.

Bottomley, who has more than 100 offences on his record, was given a nine month drugs programme while his co-defendant received a six month programme. They each must pay a £85 victim surcharge, £40 costs and fined £25.