Police name and shame burglars after 100 caught in East Lancs blitz

POLICE today unveiled a “rogues’ gallery” of 18 burglars jailed as part of a huge crackdown that has seen sentences totalling more than 200 years handed out.

And officers have warned other house raiders: ‘you’ve got nowhere to hide’.

More than 100 burglars from across East Lancashire have been convicted and sentenced this year, receiving an average sentence of around two years in prison.

And today police have taken the unusual step of providing the Lancashire Telegraph with mugshots of those most recently convicted.

They hope this action will both name and shame the burglars and deter others from committing the crime.

Chief Inspector Damian Darcy said: “Even though burglaries are at a 35 year all-time low, we are committed to reducing burglaries even further.

“It has a significant impact on victims, their families and the wider community.

“Burglaries make people feel less safe. That is unacceptable.

"The only people who should be in fear is those people who commit them.

“We target burglars 365 days a year 24/7. Every offence is robustly investigated.

"Burglars have two choices: stop now or you will be caught and face the consequences.

"Our message to them is clear: we know who you are and we know where you live.”

The warnings come after Operation Julius, an ongoing campaign to reduce burglary across Lancashire.

In Eastern division, covering Blackburn, Darwen, Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley, there were 65 arrests made during July, £82,100 of stolen property recovered, 877 visits and warnings made, 509 stop and search checks carried out, 27 search warrants executed, 13 vehicles seized and 91 visits to second hand shops made.

In Pennine division, covering Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale, there were 56 arrests made during the month, £55,820 of stolen property recovered, 919 visits and warnings made, 2,113 stop and search checks carried out, 41 search warrants executed, 21 vehicles seized and 96 visits to second hand shops.

Throughout July, officers carried out high profile patrols and activity to target known offenders.

Senior police officers in East Lancashire have personally visited those suspected of being the most prolific burglars.

This week officers in Burnley will “lockdown” burglary hot-spots.

Individual streets where suspected burglars are known to either live, visit or operate will be subject to a 24 hour lockdown.

Superintendent Sarah Oldham, of the Pennine Division, said: “We need the public’s assistance to keep crime low.”

Anyone with information should call police on 0845 1 25 35 45 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

HALL OF SHAME

• Liam Atkinson, 18, Norfolk Close, Littleborough, nine months in prison after burgling a home in Southwood Drive, Baxenden, on January 13.

• Benjamin Paul Moore, 28, Drake Street, Rochdale, 18 months in jail for same burglary in Southwood Drive.

• David Hessian, 24 Ivinson Road, Darwen, two years and 146 days in jail for a burglary at Perry Street, Darwen on February 23.

• Liam Thompson, 21, Walmsley Street, Darwen, two years for burglary in Tythebarn Street, Darwen.

• Terence Paul Johnston, 33, Coleridge Street, Blackburn, total of five years and three months’ jail for burglaries in Coleridge Street and the Griffin area of Blackburn.

• Michael Gavin, 37, Leighton Street, Preston, four years four months in prison for distraction burglary in Ambleside Close, Blackburn.

• Lee Heath Jones, 38, Laurel Avenue, Darwen, two years nine months jail for burglary in Exeter Street, Blackburn, on January 12.

• Gavin Hall, 26, Hancock Street, Blackburn, one year nine months in prison for the same burglary in Exeter Street.

• Waqaar Ali, 20 Whitehead Street, Blackburn, and Bilal Zeb, 20, Preston New Road, Blackburn were each sentenced to four years in jail after admitting 12 burglaries at homes in Blackburn.

• Andrew Smith, 31, Snape Street, Darwen, two years four months in prison for burglary on November 2.

• Adam Parkinson, 27, of Scott Street, Burnley, two years and four months jail for burglary in Mitton Road, Whalley.

• Sean Lewis, 28, of Nelson but of no fixed abode, jailed indefinitely for robbery and two burglaries. Seven other burglaries were taken into consideration.

• Mark Donaldson, 20, of Hathaway Road, Padiham, 16 months in prison for six burglaries in Padiham in June.

• William Penman, 23, of Every Street, Brierfield, two years and five months in jail for aggravated vehicle taking, driving while disqualified, no insurance and failing to surrender.

• Philip Brearley, 25, of New Line, Bacup, jailed for two and a half years after raiding 19 properties in Rossendale and Rochdale.

• Shaun Haslam, 27, of Beverley Street, Burnley, sentenced to 16 months in prison for a burglary in Harley Street.

• Mark Morton, 33, of no fixed address, got 16 months jail for burglaries at Francis Street, Burnley, and St Andrew’s Church Hall, Colne Road, Burnley.

Back

© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/trade_directory/