A career burglar who targeted an ‘entire town’ causing ‘untold distress’ to businesses has been jailed for six years and given a 10-year ASBO.

David Driver, of Farholme Lane, Bacup, raided 10 businesses and a house in the Barnoldswick area between March and October last year taking more than £9,500 worth of property and leaving a £6,000 bill for repairs and security upgrades.

Burnley Crown court heard how Driver, 37, passed on up to £4,000 of his ill-gotten gains to Bacup couple Ashleigh Fell and Ryan Raby who then tried to sell the items on eBay, to friends and family and at a car boot sale.

Driver pleaded guilty to burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary and was jailed for six years and ordered not to enter Barnoldwick for 10 years.

Fell, 27 and Raby, 31, both of Pennine Road, were also jailed for 18 months after pleading guilty to handling stolen goods.

The court heard how Driver targeted an Indian takeaway, jewellers, estate agents, a restaurant, shoe shop and a beauty salon stealing a large amount of cosmetics, cash, clothes, alcohol and in some cases charity boxes.

All the burglaries happened at night and in most cases he gained entry by smashing his way through rear doors or windows.

The court heard how, in a letter to Judge Beverely Lunt, he admitted travelling to target Barnoldwick because he saw them as ‘easy targets’ with lack of security and police and ‘they weren’t prepared for him’.

One of the business owners has sold up his business since the burglary while another has passed it onto his son, the court heard.

The court heard how one business owner of eight years said she previously felt ‘happy and safe’ but now her ‘heart was no longer in the business’.

Two of the victims looked on eBay and found some of the items being sold on accounts run by Fell and Raby.

Officers swooped at their home on Pennine Road on October 25 and found ‘substantial amounts’ of stolen items with some in padded envelopes ready to be posted.

The court heard how Driver gave Fell and Raby the items to sell on to pay them back for a £600 loan to pay a council tax bill.

Keith Harrison, defending Driver, said he had been an ‘unwelcomed blight’ on the town and was an ‘intelligent man’ who ‘lost his moral compass’.

Elizabeth Nicholls, defending mum-of-one Fell, said: “What started as a completely legitimate exercise to pay off debts owed to them became a criminal exercise.”

Douglas Stuart, defending kitchen fitter Raby, said: “Their involvement was for a limited period of time between August and October and there’s very little evidence of anything being sold.”

Judge Beverley Lunt told Driver: “You deliberately targeted an entire town. You have caused untold distress.

Addressing Fell and Raby she said they both ‘facilitated his crimes’ and it was set up as a ‘commercial business’.