A man from Lancashire who breached a restraining order banning him from approaching the woman he stalked has been jailed.

Paul Vernon, from Blackpool, was sent to prison for three months on Monday.

He pleaded guilty to breaching the order not to contact or approach 24-year-old Michelle Swarbrick.

Magistrates were told that an hour after the order was imposed on Friday, Vernon chased Ms Swarbrick shouting "Stop, I want to talk to you."

'Reconciliation hope'

Five hours later, the court heard, he broke into Ms Swarbrick's home while she was out and lay in wait for her.

However, a neighbour saw him force the door open and alerted police, who then arrested him inside the house.

Vernon, 27, a landscape gardener of Dickson Road, in Blackpool, earlier received a three year ban from contacting Ms Swarbrick or going within 200 metres of her home.

Paul Robinson, defending, said Ms Swarbrick was not in when Vernon went into her home.

Mr Robinson told the court Vernon simply wanted to talk to her to straighten things out and to try and get their relationship back on track.