A FRUIT machine thief who posted brazen photos on social media has been jailed.

Preston Crown Court heard Ian Andrew Sparkes travelled the country stealing from gambling machines, owned by Regal Gaming and Leisure.

But after police launched a manhunt for the prolific thief, brazen Sparkes - who used a skeleton key to unlock the machines - taunted cops with pictures of himself posing with cash he had stolen.

The 26-year-old, of no fixed address was arrested and questioned in August last year, but after he was granted bail he went on the run - and continued to empty the machines.

Te court heard on November 19, 2016 and January 21 2017, Sparkes raided machines in Accrington, taking £231 and £211 respectively.

In each offence, the court was told Sparkes used a special key to unlock the machines and empty their contents.

Following the raids police launched a manhunt to catch Sparkes, who has links to Blackpool and Oldham.

But while he was at large, the thief posed for photographs outside arcades and beside gaming machines, and uploaded the images to Facebook.

he court heard he captioned on image: “Crimewatch, that.”

In February the prosecutor said he launched a string of rants on the social media site, saying: “Watch what I do this year. People getting KO and people going in the van.”

Hours later cops issued an appeal, urging Sparkes to hand himself in.

Following his arrest Sparkes pleaded guilty to 21 counts of theft .

He appeared at Preston Crown Court to be sentenced.

Judge James Adkin, sentencing, said: “You appear to roam the country stealing from gaming machines with special keys to enable you to have access to those machines.

"It seems in all the circumstances and bearing in mind your record and the fact you are a professional criminal, the least sentence I can pass is one of 20 months.”