A MAN alerted by his dog barking looked out of the window to see five men lifting stone flags from a neighbour's drive. Blackburn magistrates heard he contacted the police and as he watched a vehicle reversed onto the drive and the gang loaded the flags. Police were able to stop the vehicle and detain the driver, Csoka Zoltan, nearby and the flags were recovered. Soltan, 32, of Ormerod Street, Accrington, was convicted in his absence of stealing flag stones. He was given a conditional discharge for 24 months, fined £50 with £100 costs and £30 victim surcharge and ordered to pay £400 compensation. Parveen Akhtar, prosecuting, said the flags were valued at about £1,000 but they had been recovered. "It will cost about £400 to have them re-laid," said Miss Akhtar. Ian Huggan, defending, said Zoltan had no previous convictions and had originally pleaded not guilty to the offence. "He was approached by a group of men and asked to drive to an address," said Mr Huggan. "He thought they were entitled to take the flags and that was the basis of his not guilty plea."