A former prolific shoplifter has turned his life around with the help of the police and will begin a sign-language course at Bradford College in January.

Daniel Fallon, 27, who has dozens of convictions for theft and was given an Asbo in 2007 banning him from Bradford city centre for five years, said he woke up on the streets one night a year ago and thought “I can’t do this any more”.

Mr Fallon said he fell in with the wrong crowd as a teenager and became hooked on crack and heroin. He said he stole from shops to fund his £120-a-day habit.

He said: “Once I got into the drugs I couldn’t get out.

“I was in and out of prison and the last time I came out I was back on the streets and I just thought I can’t do this anymore.”

Mr Fallon sought help from drugs rehabilitation project Agape which gave him somewhere to live and he finally agreed to accept help from West Yorkshire Police’s Offender Management Unit (OMU), which had been trying to work with him.

PC Roger Moore, of the OMU, said: “Eventually he came on board and decided there was another way.

“The unit is set up to look after people and dissuade them from crime by looking at a lot of aspects like family, health, education and drugs problems.

“We’ve been working with Daniel for 18 months now.”

PC Nathan Gill, of the OMU, said: “We would rather do the helping side of things but if they won’t let us we are still police officers and we will prosecute if we have to.”

Mr Fallon has been off drugs and stayed away from crime for more than a year. He said: “I’m really glad things have changed. I’m starting this course now and it’s something that will be really useful.

“I know I want to do something helping people so this is a really good start.”