A SECURITY guard meant to be watching over a factory at Christmas, went nightclubbing - then took friends back for a party, a court was told.

Burnley Crown Court heard how Paul Orange, 21, allegedly reversed a fork lift truck into valuable machinery at Vitafoam, Accrington, causing damage to the tune of more than £5,000.

He was also said to have had sex among the sponges with a girl he took back from Afrika's nightclub. A hole was also found to have appeared in an office roof at the Dale Street works, where guards "stashed away pornography" in the canteen ceiling.

The jury was told how Robert Morris, a security officer with a string of criminal convictions was due to hand over to Orange at 11pm on Boxing Day but abandoned his post and was found by the defendant and a mobile guard at the bar of a local pub.

Orange, of Arthur Street, Great Harwood, denies two counts of damaging property between December 25 and 28, 1997.

Jim Wensley, boss of Morris James Security, contracted to provide 24-hour cover over the festive holiday, said he could see the damaged machine was the most expensive on the premises. Orange, then working for him, told him: "You're not pinning this on me," and stormed off. All three guards working at Vitafoam were suspended pending investigations.

Mr Morris, a former partner in Morris James and director of RDM Enterprises, said he went to the pub for change to use the phone, although he didn't have permission. He was away three or four minutes and did not have an alcoholic drink. When he left the factory at the end of his shift, he checked outside, the mobile guard checked inside, and everything was normal.

The court heard that Orange told police he had sex with a girl in the office, though she claimed it happened on foam sponges. He had worked for Morris James for about three weeks.

He went to Afrika's when he should have been working on Boxing Day night and again the following night. He had made fictitious entries into the log book both times.

Orange said he lied to police because he didn't want his then boss to find out he had left the factory but he was not responsible for damage.

Asked by trial judge, Recorder Leonard Portnoy: "You weren't a very good security guard, were you?" Orange replied: "No."

Proceeding

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.