Wigan pub burglar is jailed after CCTV appeal

Clifford Faulkner, 34, of no fixed address, was arrested after the Wigan media featured CCTV footage and stills of his break-in at Fifteens of Swinley last month from which he stole a till and broke into a guest room, terrifying a woman inside.

We were approached by Tony Callaghan, owner of the Upper Dicconson Street premises, after he had been told by police that they would not be sending forensic officers to investigate the crime because it had been noted the intruder was wearing gloves so there was little point in examining the scene. This despite having a clear image of the man himself.

After the November 9 early morning crime was featured in the Observer, Post and wigantoday, Mr Callaghan said two officers visited Fifteens of Swinley, apologised to its manager citing manpower issues and said that, in fact, they recognised the burglar and would have got round to investigating once a backlog had been cleared.

Faulkner was later arrested and he has now appeared before Wigan magistrates.

He pleaded guilty to the Fifteens break-in and, on the same day, to stealing food and drink from the Run and Jump Play Centre on Caroline Street.

Faulkner admitted also to burgling the Honeysuckle pub on Pool Street, Poolstock, five days later in which an unknown quantity of cash and alcohol was stolen.

The value of the Fifteens till - which had been empty and was dumped in a nearby street - was £280 although Mr Callaghan said there was also a hefty repair bill for several damaged doors at the pub and bed and breakfast which were jemmied open by Faulkner. He fled after getting into one of the rooms where a female member of staff had been sleeping over night.

Fortunately there was no confrontation.

For the two pub burglaries Faulkner was given eight months behind bars with another two months to run concurrent for the play centre theft. He must also pay a £115 victim surcharge but no compensation for the estimated £1,700 damage to the doors.

Mr Callaghan said: “It is a pity that we had to make such a song and dance for justice to take its course.”