Burglar ruined Australian’s boating holiday

A BURGLAR who broke into a narrowboat that had been hired by three Australian holiday makers on the the Leeds & Liverpool Canal ruined their holiday.

Connor Wilford, 19, came prepared with bolt croppers to cut the padlock on the couples' narrowboat Hum Drum then ransacked the inside stealing Australian currency, a purse, a handbag, a laptop, a camera and other items Skipton Magistrates heard, Alan Tilbury reports.

Secured boat

Prosecuting, Melanie Ibbotson, told the court the narrowboat had been moored close to Skipton and had been secured before leaving it at 6.30pm in October last year to walk the short distance into town.

It was a police officer, walking along the towpath, who had seen a male acting suspiciously, and then again, running along a passageway heading towards the town.

Carrying the stolen items

The officer caught hold of the male, who turned out to be Wilford, who was carrying a bag containing the items stolen from the narrowboat together with the bolt croppers.

Though the man declined to comment when interviewed by the police, after being shown CCTV he claimed he had needed the bolt croppers to cut the lock off a friend's bike. However he then admitted burglary, but was in fear of being sent to prison as having previous convictions, the court was told.

Connor Wilford will appear at Bradford Crown Court for sentencing on 10th August.