TWO men who burgled a shop, forcing the barber to close his business, claimed they entered the premises by mistake.

Blackburn magistrates heard the pair had been living next door in the cellar and said they were initially looking for a way back in.

But they accepted as soon as they realised their mistake, they should have turned round and left instead of stealing nearly £600 of equipment from the Clayton-le-Moors shop.

Daniel Lee Kenyon, 26, of Birch Hall Avenue, Darwen and Shane Robert Taylor, 24, of Dodgson Place, Preston, pleaded guilty to burglary at Norman’s Barbers Shop.

They were each made subject to community supervision, ordered to do 80 hours unpaid work and pay £297 compensation each.

Claire Grant, prosecuting, said Norman Hayden locked his shop on a Saturday and realised something was wrong when he returned on Tuesday.

Afterwards Mr Hayden, 64, said he was bewildered by the theft which left him unable to open for two days until he could replace essentials.