A JUDGE has branded a couple of drug addicts “heartless” after hearing how they specialised in stealing charity boxes.

At Bolton Crown Court Lee Hall was jailed for three years and 10 months and his accomplice, Victoria Litherland for two years and six months after hearing how they stole boxes from shops and stores in the Bury area which were raising cash for a range of causes, including sick and disabled children.

Recorder Rachel Smith told them: “These were utterly shameless offences.

“They are calculated, cynical, mean-spirited and heartless.

“Each pound taken by you represents a personal gift by an individual to good and charitable causes.”

Hall, aged 42, of Chapelfield, Radcliffe, pleaded guilty to seven counts of theft and Litherland, aged 29, of Roch Crescent, Whitefield admitted five theft offences.

Stuart Neale, prosecuting, told the court that last year the pair were caught stealing a Royal British Legion poppy appeal box and sentenced to curfews for the crime.

But in October this year they began a further spare of thefts.

On October 7 the pair stole sweets, worth £5.20 from Mr Simms Olde Sweet Shop in Millgate, Bury, but returned to the shop the following day.

Whilst Litherland distracted the shopkeeper,r Hall used scissors to cut the string attaching the Bury Lions box to the cash register and slip it into his accomplice’s bag.

The box, which was almost full, is thought to have contained around £200 – money which was to be partly used to help fund Bury Carnival.

Scott Richardson, from Bury Lions told the court, in a statement: “It makes me feel sick to my stomach that it has been stolen. I can’t believe anyone would stoop so low.”

The same day the pair also stole a box at Lloyds Bank, Bury, which was collecting cash for disabled children at Elms Bank Specialist Arts College and is believed to have contained around £50.

Then on October 17 Hall went into the McColl’s convenience store in Whitefield, slipped a tin of soup in a bag and used scissors again to steal the charity box which was raising funds for terminally ill children at St George’s Hospital, London, and contained around £60.

Each of the crimes had been caught on CCTV and the pair, discovering they were wanted by police, handed themselves in.

However, they were allowed to leave the police station and on October 29 resumed their crime spree, taking a Children in Need collection box from the customer services counter in Asda which could have contained £200.

Hall snatched a box, thought to contain more than £10 for Bury Cancer Support, from Unsworth Post Office on November 5 and two days later police, looking for the pair again, located them in Bury town centre.

In Litherland’s bag were two DVDs they had stolen from HMV.

In court the couple asked Recorder Smith to also take the theft of a charity box from Morrisons into consideration and Litherland’s theft of DVDs from a stall on Bury market.

“Both these defendants are struggling with entrenched drug problems,” said Andrew Costello, defending.

He stressed that Hall had relapsed into stealing to pay for drugs in recent years and widow Litherland had slipped into a drug taking lifestyle with her late husband.

“She has now hit rock bottom,” said Mr Costello, adding that the gravity of their offending has now dawned on both defendants and they are remorseful.

Litherland and Hall will each be subjected to a Criminal Behaviour Order for the next five years which bans them from entering any shop, shopping centre or market in Bury town centre.