A FOOTBALL scout hired a bouncy castle for a children's party - then later pawned it to get money.

Anthony O'Kelly, aged 32, of Glynwood Park, Farnworth, pleaded guilty to theft of a purple bouncy castle valued at £500 and fraud by pawning it.

He was sentenced to an eight-week curfew from 11pm to 7am and ordered to pay £100 compensation with £85 costs plus a £60 victim surcharge by Blackpool magistrates.

Prosecutor Pam Smith said on July 15 the bouncy castle O'Kelly had hired for a children's party was delivered to his then home in Warton.

When the owner came to collect it on July 19 O'Kelly told him it had been stolen from his garden.

In September the owner of the bouncy castle was looking on eBay when he saw his castle being offered for sale by the Cash Generators shop in Blackpool.

O'Kelly, who used to live in Lytham Road, Warton, told the court the bouncy castle had been stolen from his garden, but he retrieved it some days later from a group of children.

He said he then rang the owner, but he did not seem keen on collecting it, so O'Kelly put the castle in his garage.

A couple of months later he was short of cash and he pawned it for a buy-back loan of £100 at Blackpool.