Lego thieves banned from every B&M store after stealing £4,000 in bricks over two days
A three-man gang of thieves are facing jail if they ever step foot into a B&M store after stealing more than £4,000-worth of lego.
The trio have been banned from every B&M store in England and Wales but soared jail after their two days stealing spree.
Conlon McDonagh, Tom McDonagh, and Patrick Ward, all aged 22, raided B&M stores in Nottinghamshire during the crime spree last week.
CCTV showed them wearing baseball caps as they entered the stores before stuffing high-value kits into reusable shopping bags and walking out.
The thefts occurred at stores in Worksop, Mansfield and Netherfield.
The men were caught in the Newark area after a police officer spotted a vehicle full of toys.
Checks found the vehicle was wanted in connection with the Lego thefts and the vehicle was stopped as it travelled along the A17.
All three crooks were arrested and later charged with three counts of theft.
The court heard how the first theft took place at the B&M store in Bridge Place, Worksop, at around 5pm on Monday, August 29. One of the men distracted staff while the other two stole nearly £650 worth of Lego from the shelves.
At 8pm on the same evening, the trio targeted the B&M store in Baums Lane, Mansfield, filling up four large bags with Lego products worth approximately £1,000 before leaving without paying.
The next day, they went even further and took almost £3,000 worth of Lego products and toys from the B&M store at Victoria Retail Park in Netherfield.
On this occasion a shop assistant challenged the trio as they were leaving. One of the men responded by swearing at her before fleeing in a car.
Having been caught the following day, the men were put before the courts and were each jailed for 18 weeks, suspended for 12 months.
It means they must not commit any more offences if they wish to stay out of prison.
The trio were also banned from entering any B&M store in England and Wales for a year.
Sergeant Antony Coleman, who oversaw the investigation, said: ‘Thanks to the instincts of the patrolling officers whose suspicions were aroused by the considerable amount of Lego in the vehicle, these brazen thieves were all swiftly caught.
‘They travelled to Nottinghamshire to commit these high-value thefts, thinking they could get away with it. They were wrong.
‘Due to the dedication and professional work of the force’s Prisoner Handling Team, the courts have been able to deal with the matter in a timely manner.
‘We continue to treat shop thefts seriously and our proactive work to combat this issue is ongoing including targeted operations in hot-spot areas, increased patrols and working closely with businesses and local authorities to reduce retail crime.’
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