A BURGLAR smashed his way into a Carlisle fancy dress shop and snatched four boxes of fireworks.

Anthony George Weaver, 53, was high on Valium when he committed a crime at Struts, Chapel Street, which occurred during the early hours of Thursday morning.

Police informed of the break-in discovered a door panel at the business had been forced and property strewn over the floor.

The owner confirmed four boxes of fireworks, each worth £38.99, had been stolen.

These were subsequently found in Weaver’s possession along with a small quantity of Valium – a class C controlled substance.

Weaver, of Cumberland Court, Carlisle, admitted burglary and possession of the drug when he appeared at the city’s North and West Cumbria Magistrates’ Court yesterday morning.

Heavily-convicted Weaver had been “candid” when quizzed about the crime and, said his solicitor, Sean Harkin, was “apologetic”.

“He was given Valium by a friend. He doesn’t normally use that.

“He wasn’t in the right frame of mind.

“He has gone out and committed the burglary without any planning whatsoever,” said Mr Harkin.

“He has been out of trouble for 12 months. He is disappointed in himself.

“He was trying to stay on the straight and narrow.”

District Judge Gerald Chalk jailed Weaver for 98 days, saying: “It was a forced entry, an untidy search and you have a poor record, including burglaries, going back 30 years.”

Weaver was also ordered to pay £450 compensation to the shop owner when released from custody.