SHAKEEL Akhtar treated his arrest for shoplifting as a joke and told police the courts did not bother with petty thefts. But he was fined £100 with £100 costs by Blackburn magistrates after pleading guilty to stealing a denim jacket and a pair of jeans from Tesco.

Philip Potter, prosecuting, said Akhtar, 41, of Cambridge Street, Blackburn, was seen to put the items in a trolley and then cover them with his own jacket. He selected other items and paid for them as he left but made no effort to pay for the clothing. He said Akhtar told police it had been an oversight and he had intended to pay for the clothes by credit card but he did not have a credit card on him.

"The officer says that Akhtar thought it was a joke from start to finish and it did not matter if he was charged because the courts do not bother with petty theft," said Mr Potter. "He told the officer he had been a criminal for 17 years."

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