A heartless thief will spend Christmas behind bars after stealing a charity box containing just £7.
The Observer reported last month how the Accrington Pals cafe in the Market Hall was targeted with money in aid of the Accrington Pals Charity and North West Ambulance Service Community First Responders stolen.
Councillor Eamonn Higgins, who runs the Accrington Pals cafe with his partner Karen Moxham, told the Observer at the time that it was ‘absolutely diabolical behaviour and the lowest of the low’.’
Paul Gill, 45, of Edmund Street, Accrington, pleaded guilty at Blackburn Magistrates Court to the theft at the cafe and three other counts of theft for separate incidents.
He was jailed for a total of 12 weeks.
CCTV pictures have been released by Hyndburn Police following his sentencing and captures the moment he sneaked under the cafe curtain before pinching the charity box from the counter.
A Hyndburn Police spokesperson said: “Paul Gill pleaded guilty to the theft along with various other offences and has now been sentenced to 12 weeks in prison. We will be carrying out lots of increased patrols over the festive period to keep an eye on Christmas crooks.”
The incident happened on Friday, November 18.
