Jail for town mayor found guilty of breaking into homes to steal women's underwear
By James Tozer
Last updated at 6:34 PM on 05th February 2010
Jailed: Ian Stafford today
When they chose him as mayor, residents of the seaside town of Knott End no doubt hoped Ian Stafford would personify their decent, respectable values.
Instead, the 59-year-old was yesterday beginning a two-year prison sentence after admitting breaking into local women's homes and stealing their underwear.
Several residents had become worried by the disappearance of items from their underwear drawers, and one even had a covert camera installed in her bedroom to catch the culprit.
But local people were shocked when they learned the thief was none other than the twice elected Mayor of Preesall and Knott End in Lancashire.
Police were handed tapes showing the respected bachelor breaking in and helping himself to personal items, carrying out sex acts and then leaving.
Yesterday Stafford, who resigned as mayor and as an independent councillor following his arrest, was told by a judge he was guilty of a 'revolting' breach of trust and jailed.
The bachelor, who worked as a handyman or gardener, was entrusted to enter the houses on his own.
But after the damning CCTV footage showing him wandering around, naked from the waist down, police raided his home.
There they found up to £900 worth of women's underwear - some in bags with the names of victims written on them.
When interviewed, Stafford told them: 'I feel deeply ashamed at the whole scenario because I have hurt people who have been excellent friends - I could not wish for better.
'I wish I had said something to someone earlier. I am not proud of any of this, I am sickened. I wish I could turn the clock back.'
Yesterday at Preston Crown Court the respected church-goer admitted four counts of burglary, one for each house he had broken into.
Richard Howarth, defending, said the ex-mayor wished to send his 'profuse and abject apologies' to his victims and had to bear the 'stigma and shame' of what he had done.
Jailing him for two years, Judge Heather Lloyd told him he was guilty of 'a gross violation of the trust placed in you as an employee and friend'.
'The victims would never have dreamed that trust would have been abused in such a revolting fashion,' she added.
'You were well respected as the Mayor of Preesall and you were in that prominent position when these offences were committed.'
She advised Stafford - who showed no emotion as he was sentenced - to undergo therapy, a call backed by his fourth victim.
Writing to the court, she said: 'He has been punished severely but I hope he can put it all behind him and show himself to be the kind and caring man known to so many.'
Detective Constable Steve Montgomery of Lancashire police said: 'This has been a distressing ordeal for the victims who are pleased with the sentence.'
A man who was formerly a mayor of a village in Lancashire, England has been jailed for two years after being found guilty after admitting four charges of burglary. England with Lancashire in red.

59-year-old Ian Stafford, a bachelor, was formerly the mayor of the village of Preesall, however he had to resign from his position in 2009 after being arrested for burglary. His crimes would involve going into houses of people who had entrusted house keys to him as he was employed by them as a handyman or a gardener. He then searched through drawers for underwear before carrying out sex acts and stealing or replacing the underwear, and then leaving the properties. He also stole some garments. The burglaries took place in the villages of Stalmine and Poulton-le-Fylde between the dates of January 1 and June 26 in 2009.

One person became suspicious and installed a hidden camera inside her bedroom. As a result, a 14 minute DVD was recorded which shows the former mayor walking naked from the waist downwards. The DVD was passed on to the police. Police officers later raided Stafford's residence and found the underwear, which had been marked with the names of the owners. The underwear is said to have been worth up to £900 (US$1407).

The trial was held in Preston Crown Court. There the Court heard of how the victims had been "embarrassed, disgusted and shocked" by the "sexual kicks" which the man had been getting. During a previous interview with police, Ian Stafford commented at how he felt "deeply ashamed at the whole scenario because I have hurt people who have been excellent friends - I could not wish for better. I wish I had said something to someone earlier. I am not proud of any of this, I am sickened. I wish I could turn the clock back." 

Inside the court on Thursday, Judge Heather Lloyd said to Stafford: "Your private desires or fantasies which should only be your concern became public when you decided to do what you did in the homes of those who trusted you. To masturbate into a woman's underwear and place it back in the draw ''sic'', repeatedly, as seen in the DVD, as you have done in other homes is bluntly revolting and the impact on your victims is high." She sentenced Ian Stafford to two years in prison, with the recommendation that he takes therapy, a decision which was supported by Stafford's fourth victim.

After the court trial had concluded, Detective Constable Steve Montgomery, who comes from Lancashire Police, stated: "This has been a distressing ordeal for the victims involved, all of whom had let Mr Stafford into their homes, trusting him to carry out maintenance. They certainly did not expect him to search for, and steal, their possessions. There has been a breach of their trust in a very intimate nature. The victims are relieved that the court process is now over."