A "CAREER criminal" who came to Blackburn to steal was caught on closed-circuit TV taking photographic equipment worth £1,464, a court was told.

Blackburn magistrates heard that Simon John Hargreaves returned to the same store four days later and when he was arrested by police they found a foil-lined box inside his carrier bag.

Hargreaves, 35, of Peacock Close, Wakefield, pleaded guilty to theft and going equipped for theft and was jailed for four months.

Eddie Harrison, prosecuting, said security staff at PC World on the Peel Retail Park recognised Hargreaves when he walked into the store on the second occasion and alerted the police.

At first he denied ever being in the store before.

Mr Harrison said Hargreaves had 122 previous convictions.