A FATHER has told of his disgust after finding burglars had smeared HP sauce and discarded food across his home.

David Goddard was in bed at his home in Union Road, Oswaldtwistle, when his partner Shelley McKelvie woke him to say there were noises coming from their kitchen. When he went downstairs the 21-year-old discovered a scene of devastation.

Mr Goddard said: "They had pulled all of the food out of the fridge and thrown it across the room. They had turned the oven on and then grabbed a bottle of HP sauce and chucked it everywhere. The place was an absolute mess."

Three men were seen running from the rear of the property. "I would have gone after them," said Mr Goddard, "but my one-year-old boy was upstairs and I was just in my shorts. I thought it would be better to let the police get them."

Police arrested Michael Mullin, 20, of Craven Street, Accrington, near to the scene. He was pushing a wheelie bin full of items stolen from the house.

Mullin was already the subject of a suspended sentence for a previous burglary. Appearing at Burnley Crown Court he was jailed for 10 months, plus 120 days for the breach of the suspended sentence.

Sentencing, Judge Barbara Watson said the offence, committed with two others, was particularly unpleasant. She said: "You have already been given a double chance. You had been given a community order originally and broke that. You have made it quite clear you won't comply with court orders." Silvia Dacre, prosecuting, said that Miss McKelvie had been awoken by banging and laughing downstairs.

The back door had been forced open and DVDs, CDs and electrical equipment had been taken.

When Mullin was arrested by police he told officers he had been drinking with two men earlier and they had decided to go "on a mission." Mullin said they had not gone out looking for properties to burgle. Judith McCullough, defending, said Mullin started out as the look-out for the burglary but was cajoled into going inside.

After the case, Mr Goddard said: "I am pleased with the result of the court case.

"It was the second time in as many months that something like this had happened and food had been thrown around that time too. It was a really spiteful thing to do."