A BURGLAR caught on CCTV crawling across a dance floor to steal cash from a Bournemouth bar has been sent to prison.

Wayne Griffin was sentenced for raiding Camel Bar in Old Christchurch Road three times in a month - including twice in the same night.

Griffin, of Frances Road in Bournemouth, also asked for a further 11 counts of burglary and two of attempted burglary to be taken into consideration by a judge.

The additional charges include offences committed in 2011.

Detective Sergeant Symon Clarke took to the witness box to give evidence as part of Griffin's mitigation.

DI Clarke, who is based at Bournemouth Police Station, said: "[Griffin] cooperated fully in the initial interview.

"He requested further matters to be taken into consideration. He directed officers to a number of commercial burglaries in the Bournemouth area. Some of those would not have been detected without his cooperation and assistance."

David Jenkins, mitigating, said 31-year-old Griffin wishes to "start facing up to what he has done".

Griffin first broke into Camel Bar on June 13 at around 8.30pm.

Dawn Hyland, prosecuting, said he was captured on CCTV crawling across the dance floor before returning with a plastic bag believed to have been stuffed with cash.

The defendant said he spent the cash immediately on drugs, and later the same night, he returned with an associate to steal a safe.

Griffin and the second person stole a total of £1,620 during the night.

The safe has not been returned, and Griffin told police he threw it off a cliff and into the sea.

Both visits were treated as one charge of burglary by the courts.

On July 11, the defendant returned to Camel, forcing open a rear door and stealing two tills filled with cash.

However, when he was arrested, he told police he had committed a further 13 offences.

Mr Jenkins said Griffin first began taking drugs at the age of 13 after a childhood of "abuse and neglect" in the care system.

"He has been homeless from time to time," Mr Jenkins said.

"Mr Griffin tells me he was fully compliant because he has reached the stage now where he has become wiser and wants to start facing up to what he has done.

"He wants to overcome his problems."

Griffin also suffers with mental health problems including bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, Mr Jenkins said.

Sentencing the defendant to two-and-a-half years behind bars, Judge Jonathan Fuller QC said he hopes Griffin has a "desire to draw a line" under his offending.

"Take advantage of what facilities there are available in prison and prepare yourself for a more positive release [from prison] when that time comes," the judge added.