A BURGLAR led police on a trail around homes he raided late last year.

Durham Crown Court heard that a fingerprint lifted from a burgled house in Watling Road, Bishop Auckland, led to the arrest of Paul Joseph Theaker.

It was one of five houses in south Durham he burgled between late October and early December. Much of the property taken was recovered as a result of Theaker's assistance after his arrest.

John Temple, prosecuting, said in two of the incidents, cars were taken from outside the owner's homes using keys stolen from the properties.

Mr Temple said Theaker also drove off from a motorcycle dealership on an imported Kawasaki machine he was supposed to be test riding.

Theaker, 24, of Aspen Court, Shildon, admitted five counts of burglary, two of theft, one of allowing himself to be carried in a car taken without the owner's consent, and another of taking a vehicle without the owner's consent, driving while disqualified and without insurance.

Stephen Duffield, mitigating, said: "He recognises there will be an inevitable prison sentence.

"He is, however, entitled to some credit for his guilty pleas, and as he did take police out and point out houses he had burgled."

Theaker was jailed for two years, to be served in addition to a six months' unexpired portion of a previous sentence, from which he was released early.

His accomplice on two of the break-ins, Neil Andrew McFarlane, 21, of Mills Buildings, Ferryhill, who admitted two burglary charges, was ordered to perform 80 hours' community punishment as part of an 18-month community rehabilitation order.