A 39-YEAR-OLD man has been sentenced after pleading guilty to two counts of handling stolen goods and driving without insurance.

Abdel Aourarh, of Cherwell Drive in Stevenage, pleaded guilty at Hatfield Remand Court on April 5 and was sentenced to 220 hours of community service, was disqualified from driving for 38 weeks, and received �250 in fines.

Aourarh was approached by Sergeant Grant Finnie while he was out on routine patrol during the early hours of Thursday, April 5, as he appeared to be acting suspiciously outside Pioneer Aggregates in Ware.

Aourarh was arrested in connection with a burglary that took place at the site the day before and was charged with handling stolen goods, after he was discovered to have a significant amount of scrap metal and tools stolen from the site inside his vehicle.

He was also charged with having no insurance.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Tony Kong, who works on Operation Devon - Herts Police’s drive against metal theft - said: “The quick-thinking actions of Sergeant Finnie has resulted in the arrest and sentencing of a man responsible for the theft of a significant amount of scrap metal and power tools.

“Tackling metal theft is a priority for the force as it not only costs local businesses thousands of pounds, it also can destroy historic buildings, leave homes without power or means of communication, and can pose a threat to life from exposed live power cables.”

He added: “I hope that this arrest and sentencing sends out a clear message that police officers across the county are committed to tracking down anyone thought to be involved in metal theft.”

Members of the public can help in the fight against metal thieves by reporting any suspicious behaviour in their neighbourhood to police via the non-emergency number 101, as well as ensuring they lock their sheds securely and lock away any tools and bikes after use.

Registering any valuables for free on the online database www.immobilise.com can help to deter thieves and could help any recovered items be returned to you if lost or stolen.

For more crime prevention advice, visit www.herts.police.uk and click on ‘Crime Prevention’ under ‘Advice’ in the main menu.