TWO men who climbed into an electricity sub-station to steal wire found they couldn't climb back out.

Blackburn magistrates heard the two men were caught inside the compound where they were removing earth wires.

And sentencing them to immediate prison sentences the chairman of the magistrates said they had taken into account the potential community impact and the danger once the earth wires had been removed.

David Hodgson Smith, 31, of Jockey Street, and Shaun Kevin Lally, 31, of Gannow Lane, both Burnley, pleaded guilty to burglary at the Centenary Way sub-station with intent to steal. They were each jailed for 14 weeks.

Alex Mann, prosecuting, the men were seen inside the building at 1.30am and arrested at the scene.

Nick Dearing, for Lally, said he understood the removal of the earth wires was not dangerous.

"This pair of idiots would probably have killed themselves if they had tried to steal anything else," said Mr Dearing.

Mark Williams, for Hodgson-Smith, said having got into the compound using an overhanging tree branch they had been unable to get out.

"That is another indication of how well thought out this was," said Mr Williams. "It was doomed to failure from the outset and was very amateurish."