POLICE who went to arrest a man who had broken into Barnoldswick Legion club caught him with his legs hanging out of the attic as he tried to evade detection.

And after his arrest police noticed £5 notes, which had been stolen in the burglary, falling out of his boxer shorts.

Blackburn magistrates heard Samuel David Kendall had been caught on CCTV inside the club as he committed the offence.

The club stewardess was able to identify him because she had banned him two months earlier when he tried to sell her some "dodgy" watches.

Kendall, 27, of Back Church Street, Barnoldswick, pleaded guilty to burglary and theft of alcohol and cash. He was sentenced to 20 weeks in prison and ordered to pay £750 compensation on release.

Parveen Akhtar, prosecuting, said officers responded to a burglar alarm at 3 am and were met by the stewardess. The back door had been forced and windows smashed. They viewed the CCTV footage which showed Kendall taking bottles of beer and spirits and forcing the till and removing £300 in £5 notes.

"The stewardess identified him and police went straight to his home where they forced entry and found him with his legs hanging out of the attic," said Miss Akhtar. "As the officers were taking him to the police van the they noticed £5 notes coming out of his boxer shorts."

Glenn Smith, defending, said on the night of the offence Kendall had gone out to celebrate the fact he had got a tenancy for his own flat.

"He has managed to keep away from drink lately but on this evening drank far too much," said Mr Smith.

He said when Kendall broke into the club it was primarily to steal more drink but he found and took the cash at the same time.

"He was only half conscious when the police broke into his home and he though it was someone else," said Mr Smith. "He was trying to hide in the loft when they found him."