THE running of a Colne engineering firm was affected after tools with an estimated value of £10,000 were stolen during a burglary.

Blackburn magistrates heard many of the items stolen were specialised and made specifically for the machines on which they were being used.

Neil Howard, 42, of Hawley Street, Colne, pleaded guilty to burglary at NR Engineering Ltd.

He was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison suspended for 12 months with a community order for 12 months with a 10 days rehabilitation activity requirement. He was ordered to pay £250 compensation.

Alex Mann, prosecuting, said CCTV showed two people at the Oak Street factory but Howard claimed he was alone.

She said at the time of the burglary contractors had been working in the factory servicing machinery and they had left many of their specialised tools when the site was locked up at the end of the late shift.

“Management estimate that £10,000-worth of tools were stolen. Some have been recovered,” said Mrs Mann.

“They say the running of the factory has been affected by this offence.”

Mark Williams, defending, said it was difficult to see how the figure of £10,000 had been reached.

“My client says he was on his own when he climbed in through the roof and dropped into the factory,” said Mr Williams.

“He took what he could carry and doesn’t see how he could have carried that value of tools.

“Whether someone else has gone in after him we will never know.”

The chairman of the magistrates said Howard had caused disruption to the business.

“It was intentional and not just a random walk-in,” he said.

“You had to make an effort to get into the building.”

A spokesman for NR Engineering said: “We were shocked to be broken into as we had a substantial amount of tooling and other equipment stolen. The value was about £10,000.

“We reported it first thing Friday morning, there wasn’t any action taken, so after trailing round Colne Police station (closed), Nelson Police station (closed) and finally Burnley Police station was open. It was only when we said we would sit there until someone would speak to us and after we had asked for a complaints form that someone turned up to investigate the break in.

“Luckily after seeing the images, one of the culprits was arrested and has been found guilty, having received a suspended sentence and a £250 fine. That’s obviously a deterrent to never break in anywhere again.”

The spokesman added that they were awaiting news on the other suspect, and also news on the boxes that were found dumped in the West Midlands that apparently belong to them.