Prolific thief jailed after making Ribble Valley residents’ lives a ‘misery’

Bernard Rawstron, 48, of Leach Street, Blackburn, committed the offences in Whalley and Clitheroe.

Rawstron, whose crimes happened late at night and in the early hours of the morning, was given a six-month prison sentence when he appeared before Blackburn Magistrates’ Court.

The Ribble Valley Neighbourhood Policing Team also successfully applied to the magistrates for a Criminal Behaviour Order which bans Rawstron from entering Whalley for three years.

They showed that Rawstron’s offending had caused the local community to be alarmed, distressed and harassed.

In March, he was seen by two off duty officers trying to open a car door in Whalley. When they chased him, Rawstron brandished a bar, causing the officers to back away.

The following week, he was seen in a carport late at night, and pulled a CCTV camera off a gatepost.

One month later, Rawstron broke into a VW Crafter in Holden Street, Clitheroe. He was arrested again the following week in the same area, having stolen from a car.

The 48-year-old pleaded guilty to offences of theft, handling stolen goods, and possessing an offensive weapon.

Sgt Duncan Hall, of the Ribble Valley Neighbourhood Police Team, said: “We were pleased to bring Bernard Rawstron to justice.

“We hope that the prison sentence imposed by the court and the Criminal Behaviour Order will prevent him offending again in the area and offer reassurance to the people of Whalley.”