TWO years ago Simon Cross was publicly praised by a judge and a county High Sheriff for beating drug addiction and turning his back on crime to become a mentor to schoolchildren.

But Cross, 31, was back to square one on Friday - pleading guilty to three house burglaries committed after he relapsed and started using heroin again in March.

Cross, of Russell Street, Stroud, appeared before Gloucester crown court via video link from his remand prison to admit breaking into The Rectory, Edge, burgling a house in Reservoir Road, Stroud, and burglary of another home in Grange Close, Minchinhampton.

The offences were committed in an 11 day period between March 26 and April 8 this year.

He also admitted an offence of stealing two bottles of perfume from Boots, Stroud, on April 8.

After hearing how Cross had managed to beat his habit and stay out of trouble long enough to start visiting schools to give talks about the dangers of drugs.

Judge Michael Cullum agreed to adjourn for a pre-sentence report.

But he warned that an immediate jail term would be inevitable.

In July 2014 Cross spoke to a large number of youngsters visiting Gloucester Crown court at a time when the then county High Sheriff, Thomas Frost, was attending.

Resident Judge Jamie Tabor QC praised Cross for the way he was turning his life around and trying to prevent others follow the same path as him.

After the hearing the High Sheriff posed for photographs with Cross.

Cross had related his life story to the youngsters in court - warning that cannabis is often the cause of a life of crime.

"Before you know it you want something stronger and you are onto cocaine. Then you want more and you go to crack cocaine," Cross told the pupils.

"The trouble with crack is you feel down after it wears off. Something tells you the best way to get rid of that feeling is heroin.

"I would say to anyone who says that cannabis is a harmless drug that you can't be hurt by: You are wrong.

"I don't know anybody whose first drug was heroin. If you ask 99 percent of people what they started with they say cannabis."

At Gloucester Crown Court his barrister George Threlfall said the latest offences occurred in March.

Cross went for his daily prescription of heroin substitute drug Subutex from Boots in Stroud and for some reason it had not been authorised.

He pleaded with the chemist, saying he had been having a daily dose of Subutex for three and a half years but they would not relent and he then went for several days without it, Mr Threlfall said.

It was then that he succumbed to the temptation to buy heroin on the street again - and his offences were committed to fund his renewed habit, he added.

Judge Cullum remanded Cross to be sentenced on August 19 after a probation pre-sentence report has been prepared.