A PADIHAM man is offering a £20 reward for the first person to identify a man he believes stole his shopping in a Blackburn pub.

Anthony Kirby, 48, said a man with a woolly bobble hat stole around £40 worth of goods from him around 9pm on Friday, January 6, while he was drinking in the Postal Order in Darwen Street.

He said: “The shopping was in a Tesco black cloth Christmas bag with white snowflakes and ‘Merry Christmas’ on the sides.

“I had just gone to the bar for a few minutes and when I came back it was gone.

“Some people opposite saw the guy but didn’t challenge him, they probably thought he was just taking it to the bar to hand in.

“I’m thinking of others because once he gets a taste for stealing he might do it to other people.”

Mr Kirby said the bag contained items including bottled beers, one litre of Harveys Bristol Cream, kitchen towels, tissues, washing up liquid bottles, Vaseline lotion, scones, a tomato, royal gala apples and a Velleman water alarm and sensor.

If you have any relevant information call Lancashire police on 101 quoting reference EA1200208.