A MAN who regularly burgled houses in Hyndburn is helping make people’s homes safer.

Former criminal Jason Nice would regularly travel to the area to steal during his days as a drug addict.

Now, the 34-year-old is helping officers with his unique insight into which homes are vulnerable.

Jason, who supports numerous Hyndburn charities and has been a police and youth volunteer for five years, spent over ten years in prison for theft and drugs offences between the ages of 16 and 28.

Now he is helping Operation Julius by joining officers on patrol across Lancashire, using a range of overt and covert tactics.

He said: “At first I committed crimes on my doorstep in Bolton, but you have to branch out to other areas to avoid the police. Addicts are totally selfish. I did every kind of drug there was.

"One time I even did some pills that I had found on the street. A sane person would not do that.”

Jason, who has been clean for seven years, committed his first burglary at the tender age of six.

These days he also works with Hyndburn teenagers throught the YNOT youth scheme and was selected as national ‘Volunteer of the Year’ at the Justice Awards in 2009 out of hundreds.

PC Rob Flanagan, who works with Jason through the Hyndburn Community Safety Partnership said: “The work Jason does is invaluable. We as officers cannot see things from the same point of view as he does. It’s really helpful in keeping crime down.”

Jason said: “People leave the front light on when they go out – but if it’s the same one two nights in a row, they’re probably on holiday.

“Security lights are useless. You just put your coat over it. I can tell by looking how to open any type of patio doors.

"If you get cheap doors and locks, or a cheap alarm, a burglar will know”.

He added: “I love helping the police. I wish I could apologise to everyone I had affected.

"I know I had a part to play in causing damage to the community and I consider myself to be one of the fortunate ones who could give something back to help people.”