Radford: Burglar recalled to prison after car and shop thefts

A prolific offender has been recalled to prison after committing new offences.

Bobby Lunt was jailed for 30 months in May 2025 after he was convicted of a series of crimes, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm, two burglaries, threatening behaviour and 14 shop thefts.

He was released on licence in April this year and warned he'd go back to prison if he breached his licence conditions or committed any other offences.

The 42-year-old was arrested on 3 June after he was identified as the culprit in a string of incidents.

He was captured on CCTV stealing £163 worth of food products – including meat, fish, cheese and butter – from the Co-Op in Emperors Way, Hucknall, on 11 May.

A week later, on 18 May, he stole £26 worth of gammon joints from Tesco Express, in Ilkeston Road, Radford.

Three days later he stole a silver Kia Rio that was parked in Claude Street, Dunkirk, and on 3 June he assaulted a man who caught him attempting to break into a white van in Peveril Street, Radford.

Appearing at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on 4 June, Lunt, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft, theft of a motor vehicle, vehicle interference, common assault and using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause fear of / provoke unlawful violence.

He was subsequently jailed for 12 weeks.

The sentence comes as the City Central Neighbourhood Policing team launches Operation Arriving – a crackdown on crime in the Radford area in response to a gradual rise in retail crime, auto crime and burglary over the past six months.

Under the plans, the force's Priority Tasking and Operational Support teams will be drafted in to support neighbourhood officers in executing warrants and carrying out enforcement activity, including multiple days of action.

Crime prevention postcards will also be distributed in hotspot areas, reminding people of the simple measures they can take to thwart burglars and petty thieves.

Meanwhile, proactive patrols will be increased to ensure Radford becomes as hostile as possible for criminals to operate.

Inspector Liz Gaskin, who leads the neighbourhood team, welcomed the custodial sentence imposed on Lunt. She said:

"Lunt is a prolific offender who has shown a complete disregard for the law by committing new offences so soon after his release from prison.

"This is despite being offered access to a raft of support measures designed to help offenders break the cycle of addition and crime.

"Sadly Lunt has refused to engage with these programmes and has now found himself back behind bars, having committed a string of further crimes.

“I hope this outcome reassures the local community that we are doing everything we can to protect them from persistent offenders.”