Four men have appeared in court charged in connection with an attempted burglary at Booths in Hesketh Bank.

Stephen Bosanko, 31, of Elliott Close, Preston; Jamie Maxwell, 20, of no fixed abode; Nicholas Maxwell, 26, of Royal Drive, Fulwood and John Horn, 20, of no fixed abode have all been charged with attempted burglary at the Station Road store on 18 February.

They appeared before Ormskirk Magistrates Court and were remanded in custody.

They were arrested after police stopped a white Transit on London Road during a high profile crackdown in South Ribble over the weekend (18 and 19 February).

During the operation officers also issued 31 Fixed Penalty Notices (£80) to motorists who were caught speeding, using a mobile phone whilst driving and for having tinted windows that did not comply with legal guidelines. They seized eight vehicles after the drivers were found to have no insurance.

One motorist was reported for summons for driving offences and two motorists were warned for having defects on their vehicles. A further two people were cautioned, three people were warned and one person was charged with possessing cannabis.

The action came as part a countywide operation aimed at reducing burglary. Operation Julius will run until the end of March and will see police carry out a range of activity to target people suspected of committing burglary.

Operations Inspector for Southern Division Alison Barff-Lewis said: “Crime is low in Southern Division although we know the impact it can have on a community. We work closely with officers from our neighbouring divisions and from other force areas to further reduce offences.

“We are committed to making our roads safer for everyone and we will continue to carry out similar operations to target those who not only put their own safety at risk, but also that of other road users.”

“Crime is low in Southern Division although we know the impact it can have on a community. We work closely with officers from our neighbouring divisions and from other force areas to further reduce offences."

Inspector Alison Barff-Lewis Operations for Southern Division

When did fixed penalties increase to £80.

And what after the end of March ? Back to normal ?

Makes a change...It's usually Booths robbin' us...lol