Burglar is jailed after raiding six Melton shops in a night

Andrew Batsford was arrested after raids at three units in the Bell Centre, in Nottingham Street, and three in the Bowley Court shopping precinct off Sherrard Street.

He appeared at Leicester Magistrates’ Court and pleaded guilty at the first hearing to three counts of theft and three charges of burglary with intent to steal.

A spokesperson for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said: “Batsford was given a 26-week custodial sentence for each of the offences with the order for them to run concurrently.

“The defendant was also ordered to pay compensation of £200 to one of the victims and £140 to one of the others.”

No one at Melton Police was available to comment on the conviction but Inspector Gavin Drummond, who is in charge of policing in Melton, indicated it was a key arrest.

He wrote on his Twitter account: “Great result. Priority offender arrested and charged to court with six shop burglaries in Melton town centre.”

Last month, the Melton Times reported on a spate of burglaries overnight on Sunday and Monday, September 5 and 6.

Voodoo Console, Time Out Café and Savers were broken into in the town’s Bell Centre, as were Bliss Beauty and Tanning, SJ’s Hair World and A Reader’s Dream in Bowley Court.

Police had reported that the front door had been smashed in on each occasion to gain access.

Patrols had also been stepped up at key times around town, the police confirmed, in light of the break-ins.