TELL-TALE blood stains were left at the scene of a spate of break-ins by a young valium addict who made little effort to hide his identity.

During a two-month period, Gary Raine made seven attempts, six of which were successful, to break into houses near his home on the outskirts of Durham.

Most of the break-in attempts occurred during a 12-day period.

Durham Crown Court heard the only precaution Raine appeared to take was waiting for the householders to leave before haphazardly forcing his way into their property, often cutting himself in the process, leaving a trail of blood as he ransacked rooms.

In some cases he even set off alarms which he merely smashed to try to stop them activating.

He escaped with thousands of pounds worth of items to sell to pay off drug debts, but after his arrest police recovered much of the property from his home in Cuthbert Avenue, on the Sherburn Road Estate.

Raine claimed many of the items had been bought second hand from a shop in Claypath, Durham. However, when police checked, the proprietor remembered selling none of the goods.

Chris Williamson, prosecuting, said more than £3,000- worth of property, including an air rifle, was taken by Raine from a house in The Sands, Durham, last September.

Between November 13 and 25 he broke into a further five homes in the city's Gilesgate area.

In one raid, in Musgrave Gardens, he escaped with dinner plates, crockery, ornaments and silverware, much of which held great sentimental value to the elderly householder, worth more than £11,000.

Raine was arrested in Wynyard Grove, when a student living in a property in the road contacted the police after hearing a noise in the back yard.

David Callan, for Raine, described his offending as "amateurish".

"He left fingerprints and blood all over when he could have used gloves."

Mr Callan said the "sorry story" was a result of Raine trying to meet his debts for his valium addiction.

Raine, 25, admitted four burglary charges, plus one of attempted burglary, and asked for two other break-ins to be considered.

Jailing him for two years and nine months, Judge Michael Cartlidge said: "I don't think I can possibly explain to you how upset people get when their homes are invaded like this.