Two men plead guilty to burglary in The Maltings

Two men have admitted breaking into a St Albans beauty store and stealing nearly £8,000 worth of products.

Gary Wheeler, age 51 from Elm Park Close, Dunstable and Paul Magnan, age 38, from the Luton area pleaded guilty at Hatfield Remand Court after forcing entry into The Alternative Beauty store in The Maltings at around 4.30am on 30 May.

Thanks to Council CCTV operators and a rapid response from local officers, the pair were tracked and arrested just 15 minutes after the burglary was reported – with officers recovering £7,898 worth of stolen perfume and beauty items hidden in a wheelie bin.

Wheeler has been sentenced to 10 months in prison. Magnan remains in custody and is due to be sentenced, facing additional burglary charges.

Sergeant Lee Hammond said quick teamwork between neighbourhood officers and CCTV teams was key in bringing the offenders to justice.