DOWN THE TUBES; Crook steals pounds 90,000 from stores' cash transfer pipes.

Byline: By John McEachran

A SNEAKY crook stole more than pounds 90,000 by intercepting cash bundles sent in the vacuum tube systems of supermarkets.

Peter Blackham, 26, climbed into the stores' roof spaces through the disabled toilets and disconnected the pipes to intercept the money, which he used to feed his cocaine habit.

In all Blackham, an IT consultant earning pounds 70,000 a year, is believed to have carried out the scam at least 19 times, netting a total of pounds 90,905.

The cash was being transferred from tills to the stores' safes.

Last March, bosses at Sainsbury's in Croydon, Surrey, were left puzzled when large amounts of cash went missing during working hours.

Staff came under suspicion and were interviewed over the thefts. Managers installed motion sensors in the roof and, after the alarm went off, Blackham was stopped and found to have pounds 340 cash in his pocket.

No charges were brought for lack of evidence.

Blackham then began targeting Tesco branches in Surrey, Sussex, Hertfordshire and Kent. He was caught when CCTV revealed that cars he had hired were parked nearby when cash went missing.

He was arrested and found to have pounds 4605 cash. His DNA was later found on a ceiling tile at one store.

Blackham, of Petts Wood, Kent, admitted nine counts of burglary and was jailed for five years.

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SCAM: Blackham