Nelson burglar jailed after stealing £450 of meat from Lidl weeks after prison release
A prolific burglar has been jailed after committing a string of thefts in Nelson just weeks after being released from prison.
Max Bancroft, 34, was freed on licence in December but returned to offending by early January.
On January 11 he stole £450 worth of meat from Lidl on Rigby Street.
Later the same day he burgled the Pound Grow store in Nelson town centre, stealing cigarettes.
He returned to the shop on January 21 to carry out a second burglary, again taking cigarettes.
A wanted appeal was issued last week and Bancroft handed himself in on Friday after learning officers were searching for him.
Bancroft, of no fixed address, appeared before Preston Magistrates’ Court on Saturday where he pleaded guilty to two charges of burglary of a non-dwelling and one charge of theft.
He was jailed for 52 weeks.
Sergeant Carl McCoy, of the neighbourhood policing team, said: “This is another fantastic result for the Prosper Partnership operation that is running in Nelson and Brierfield.
“Max Bancroft will now spend more time in prison and hopefully have time to reflect on his behaviour.
“This type of criminality will not be tolerated as we want to build a stronger, safer and more resilient community.”