A RAIDER who clocked up his 100th conviction when he stole £547 after dismantling a Burnley supermarket wall, has kept his freedom.

Burnley magistrates heard how Steven James Hargreaves, 23, made a two foot by three foot hole leading into the office at KwikSave on Accrington Road.

The shop's automatic cash machine had also been tampered with.

The defendant, also arrested after a late-night punch-up, was given a 12-months community rehabilitation order and told to pay £150 compensation.

The bench made no order for costs. Hargreaves admitted using threatening, insulting and abusive words or behaviour and burglary.

Teresa Feeley, prosecuting, told the court the store's security manager was notified the alarm had been activated at about 11.45pm.

Police attended, found the wall dismantled and a blood-stained sock was found outside the manager's office.

DNA showed there was a one in a billion chance it was not the defendant's.

Hargreaves was arrested, interviewed and made no comment.

Two weeks later ,the defendant was spotted drunk and in a gang by police on duty in Burnley.

He punched another man, started running and threatened an officer.

The defendant was warned he would be CS gassed, said he would "drop" the officer and was sprayed in the face.

Miss Feeley said Hargreaves was taken to the police station and when "he came to his senses" at 5.40am the next day and said he was sorry.

The defendant was a persistent offender and had 98 previous convictions.

David Lawson, defending, said Hargreaves was determined and motivated to change.

He wanted to move on and was willing to work with the police, probation and other agencies to stop offending.

The defendant had been in and out of prison since his childhood.

He now had a young son to support, was looking for work and was not using drugs.