A MAN caught on the roof of the Tesco store in Blackburn told police he had seen two lads removing lead and had gone up to stop them.

But prosecutor Neil White told Blackburn magistrates that Mark Jones's public spiritedness was hard to believe, given that he had 48 previous convictions for theft, many of them involving scrap metal.

Jones, 40, and Joseph Fox, 39, both of Worcester Road, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to theft of lead flashing. They were each made subject to a curfew order between 9pm and 7am for six weeks.

Mr White said that while Jones had been seen on the roof Fox was found in a car into which large pieces of lead had been loaded.

Daniel King, for Jones, said his client had seen the youths on the roof and went up to investigate. He had then decided to keep the lead for himself and weigh it in for a bit of extra cash.

Ian Huggan, for Fox, said his client was told there was some lead available and while he did not go on the roof accepted he was part of the enterprise.

Mr Huggan suggested a curfew order would fit the bill as far as the offence was concerned.