A roofing contractor who was ‘caught red handed’ breaking into his girlfriend’s former house with a gang of men and stripping the kitchen of stone flags and a boiler has been jailed.

Ian Mullan, of France Street, Church, arrived at the property on Victoria Street in Church with a Ford Transit van and began loading stone pavings from the kitchen, Burnley Crown Court heard.

However the 24-year-old was spotted by a neighbour who recognised him and informed the police when the gang left.

Mullan, who has 10 previous convictions for 19 offences, pleaded guilty to burglary and was jailed for 20 months.

Stephen Parker, prosecuting, said the incident happened at around 4pm on January 29 this year and the property had been empty for around one month.

He said: “A neighbour was at home when he heard a noise outside and looked out of the property and saw a Ford Transit van on the back street.

“There were a number of men present who were loading stone flags into the back of the van which had been taken from the kitchen floor.”

Mr Parker said the neighbour asked the gang ‘I hope you’re not nicking those paving stones?’ before one of the men replied ‘No, we are doing a job on the house’.

The court heard how the neighbour then recognised Mullan as his girlfriend had been a previous tenant at the house they were breaking into.

When the men drove away the neighbour called the police however Mullan denied the offence when interviewed,

He was later identified by the neighbour from a police identification parade as one of the men involved in the burglary.

Mr Parker said the damage to the letting agents was about £2,000 and included damage to the kitchen units and the combi-boiler was taken.

He told the court there was ‘some degree of planning’ and they had ‘gone equipped’ with the van and equipment to steal the stones and boiler.

Darren Lee-Smith, defending said this was his first offence in a ‘significant period of time’ and he has ‘matured’.

He said: “He’s relatively young. He stands by his guilty plea.

“It is a serious offence and it’s accepted the custody threshold has been passed.

“Based on the defendant’s past he deserves to go to prison today.”

Recorder Suzanne Goddard QC, said Mullan and the gang had left ‘one heck of a mess’.

She said: “There was a significant degree of damage.

“The neighbour challenged you, he recognised you and he caught you red handed. You have had plenty of chances in the past and this was a deliberate offence and deserves punishment.”