A 52-year-old woman has appeared before Preston Crown Court charged with robbery and fraud.

Vanessa Daly, of Anglesey Avenue in Burnley, appeared by video link from Styal Prison in Cheshire and pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud, one count of robbery, and one count of possessing an offensive weapon.

The charges relate to an incident that took place on August 26, in which Daly entered a property on Dryden Street, Padiham, and stole a bank card in the name of Janice O'Brien.

Daly was also in possession of a claw hammer at the time.

The court heard that the defendant then attempted to use the card in order to withdraw money from a cash machine at the One Stop shop, and at the Texaco garage in Padiham but was unable to as she had the wrong pin number.

Defending, Mark Stuart said that his client was undergoing psychological tests for personality disorder and bi-polar disorder, which would take a number of weeks.

He said: "She had been subject to some tests for mental health, as she's been hearing voices, but these could take up to 12 weeks."

Daly is due to be sentenced on December 20.