School laptop robber is jailed.

Byline: by CHLOE GRIFFITHS

A ROBBER who targeted 11-year-old girls in a school playground to steal their laptops is behind bars today.

Paul Adair, 23, was wearing a high-visibility jacket when he leapt over the wall at Broughton Hall High School, West Derby, to steal laptop bags from the young pupils.

Liverpool crown court heard at least three young girls were pushed aside, while one wrestled with Adair's accomplice as the pair flung the bags, which contained books, over the wall.

The men fled when they spotted a teacher, but Adair was caught after being tackled to the ground by an alert gas engineer.

Judge Nigel Gilmour QC jailed Adair for 18 months and praised workman David Forsyth for his public-spirited behaviour.

He told smartly-dressed Adair: "You caused alarm, you caused distress and I have no doubt that those young children who were there and closest to you and your colleague for weeks after would have had unpleasant memories of what to them must have been a very frightening incident."

As Adair tried to escape he fell badly and was confronted by National Grid workman Mr Forsyth.

Judge Gilmour said: "He acted in a brave and wholly appropriate way."

Adair, of St Agnes Road, Huyton, later admitted two counts of robbery and two charges of attempted robbery at the all-girls school on September 26, last year.

His barrister Brendan Carville said Adair, who has previous convictions for dishonesty and theft, had written a letter of apology to the school.

Mr Carville said: "It was a nasty type of offence."