POLICE mounted a surveillance operation on a haul of stolen goods and arrested a man who returned to retrieve them.

Items taken from two homes were discovered stored in an outhouse beside one of the properties, Durham Crown Court was told.

Roger Moore, prosecuting, said officers did not have to wait long for 28-year-old Dean Neasham to arrive and attempt to retrieve the stolen property.

He was arrested and when police searched his address they found other goods taken in burglaries in the Durham area.

Mr Moore said among the property recovered by police were clothing, books and a laptop computer, which were taken from a house in Union Place, Durham, between January 12 and 16.

Other stolen goods found in Neasham's possession included a rucksack, DVDs, a wine rack and a bottle of vodka.

Neasham, of Providence Close, Durham, admitted two charges of handling stolen goods, relating to some of the property taken between January 19 and 22.

He also admitted the Union Place burglary and an attempted burglary at a house in Boyd Street, Durham, on March 10.

Mark Styles, mitigating, requested the preparation of reports on Neasham from the probation service before he is sentenced.

Judge Brian Forster agreed and adjourned the hearing for three weeks.

Remanding Neasham in custody, Judge Forster told him: "The fact that I'm adjourning is no indication of what the sentence will be."