Christopher Clough: Care home raider locked up after Leeds burglary spree
A burglar who targeted a care home in Leeds has been jailed for a string of offences.
In the early hours of June 22, Christopher Clough, aged 48, of no fixed abode, went into a care home in Pudsey housing elderly and vulnerable people.
Inside, he was caught on CCTV trying various doors before eventually gaining access to one of the rooms, where he picked up a vase before being disturbed and fleeing over a fence.
A local police officer identified the suspect as Clough, who was also found to be linked to a series of attempted burglaries over the next two weeks.
During this period, he was seen attempting to gain access to several addresses in Pudsey and Bramley while wearing a face covering.
Officers in Leeds successfully located him and linked him to the offences via doorbell and CCTV footage. On August 22, Clough was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court to four years behind bars.
Detective Sergeant Seb Horan, of the Leeds District Crime team, said: “We welcome the sentence passed down to Clough for a series of crimes which I know caused considerable concern in the local area. I hope this sentence provides some reassurance to people in Bramley and Pudsey that a prolific offender has been taken off the streets.”
He added: “Knowing somebody has entered or tried to enter the place you should expect to feel safe is a distressing experience and we will always take reports of this nature seriously.”
DS Horan urged residents to play their part in helping tackle burglaries: “I would encourage anyone who has information about burglary offending in their area to contact us so that we can take action.”