Stolen clothes could not be found

11:30am Sunday 20th July 2008

A THIEF who took a haul of children’s clothing was followed to a pub – but the stolen goods were nowhere to be seen.

Burnley Magistrates heard how Anthony Greaves, 36, and a woman, had with them the carrier bag they were spotted with in TK Maxx but the clothes had been put somewhere in the pub and had never been found.

Greaves, of Parkinson Street, Burnley, admitted theft from a shop. The defendant, who has 43 previous convictions for theft and related offences, had served a long jail term for drugs and house burglary in 2006.

He was bailed for a pre-sentence report, looking at a medium community penalty.

Andrew Robinson, prosecuting, told the court a security worker put the CCTV onto the defendant and then went onto the shopfloor and saw him putting clothing into a carrier bag.

She alerted town centre CCTV, followed them to the pub and called the police. The clothes, thought to be worth £70, were never found. Greaves was questioned and made no comment.

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