A BURGLAR who repeatedly attacked the same Co-op store in Bradford over the space of six days has been jailed for 19 months.

Drug addict Marc Skelly was involved in three night-time raids on the store in Thorp Garth, Idle, and got away with £50 from a charity bucket, nearly £1,000 worth of spirits and £280 worth of scratch cards.

During the break-ins in July a paving slab, a jemmy and even a wheelie bin were used to get into the store.

Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday that the damage caused in the attacks totalled thousands of pounds.

Prosecutor Ken Green said in the final attack on July 9 Skelly, who was with an accomplice, used a wheelie bin to smash a window which had been repaired following a previous burglary the night before.

He said about £500 worth of spirits were put in the wheelie bin before the burglars made off.

Following his arrest Skelly, of Hendford Drive, Barkerend, Bradford, made full admissions to his offending which also included a burglary at a garage in Wrose and theft of a bank card and other property from a British Telecom van while workmen were dealing with a problem in Shipley.

Barrister Rebecca Young, for Skelly, said he was ashamed of his actions.

She said he had been turning to drugs to mask underlying issues.

She said he now had a job in prison, was taking medication and accessing mental health support.

Recorder Andrew Dallas jailed Skelly for 18 months for the burglary offences with an additional month for failing to attend at the crown court in August.

He noted that the crimes were committed while Skelly was on bail for another matter and still on prison licence.

In relation to the break-ins at the Co-op the judge told Skelly: "There was an element of targeting the premises which you must have come to a conclusion were an easy touch.”

Earlier this year, the Co-op made attempts to bolster security at its Idle store by applying for permission to install security shutters.

The Telegraph & Argus reported in August that planning officers at Bradford Council had refused the planning application to refurbish the store - including adding roller shutters to the front.

They said the shutters went against Council policy, and would be “harmful” to the street scene of the area.

The application had been made against a backdrop of almost a dozen raids and robberies involving Co-Op food stores across the Bradford District in a 12-month period.