A BURGLAR set off an alarm inside a house he broke into, a court was told yesterday.

Teesside Crown Court heard how John Rowbotham, 28, sent police to the scene when he set off the intruder alarm and activated a video camera at the Hartlepool address.

Police found a TV and video recorder he had stolen hidden in a bin, and they took pictures of him from security tapes, Dan Cordey, prosecuting, said.

He told the court that two officers recognised Rowbotham from the images.

He had only been released from prison ten days before the offence, the court heard.

Robin Turton, in mitigation, said Rowbotham was realistic enough to know he had to go back to jail.

Rowbotham, of The Front, Seaton Carew, near Hartlepool, was recalled to prison to serve 380 days left from the previous sentence, and was given an extra two years after he pleaded guilty to burgling the house on July 11