A burglar raided an Accrington club and stole £3,000 in alcohol and cash.

Colin Greenfield and other unknown offenders forced their way through the closed shutters at the Poplar Social Club on Wellington Street and stole stock from the basement and cash from the bar area.

Greenfield, formerly of Stanley Street, Oswaldtwistle, pleaded guilty at Burnley Crown Court to burglary and was jailed for six months.

However the court heard how the 39-year-old won’t be released until at least March 2019 after being handed a seven-year jail sentence in April 2016 for burglary and robbery where a 67-year-old man was brutally attacked in his own home.

Karen Brooks, prosecuting, told the court how the social club burglary happened in the early hours of December 7, 2015, and the club was ‘fully stocked’ ahead of Christmas and New Year events.

She told the court: “It’s clear that the offenders, including the defendant, went down to the basement area and the bar area. A lot of stock was taken from the cellar and cash from the bar.

“There were a number of events that were outstanding at that time so they were fully stocked and also they had quite a lot of money on the premises due to ticket sales.”

Miss Brooks told the court how a social club member was called to the scene and estimated around £3,000 worth of stock and money had been stolen. Greenfield was later identified by police on CCTV.

Judge Beverley Lunt said: “For this offence I’m going to impose a sentence of six months imprisonment which runs from today, it’s not going to add to your overall sentence.”

Speaking after the hearing, Brian Sutch, president of the social club, said the burglary caused a ‘great deal of inconvenience’ to staff and customers with a number of tickets also stolen for future events.

Eddie Pearson, entertainment manager, said Greenfield’s jail sentence was not long enough.

He told the Observer: “They don’t get punished enough and it doesn’t deter people.

“A lot of clubs and pubs are shutting down. We are doing our best as a committee, who don’t get paid, and when something like this happens it really knocks you back.

“We have got a new CCTV system installed which costs extra money. We just hope it doesn’t happen again.”