A burglar was caught red-handed when he broke into a house on Wearside and tried to steal a fridge.

For instead of a freezer box he got an empty box - with a policeman hiding inside ready to make an arrest!

Detectives In Sunderland thought up the trick to trap thieves operating in the area.

Using an empty terraced house in Cairo Street, Hendon, the Trojan-horse style operation swung into action in full glare of the public.

Vans arrived and delivery men began moving large boxes - designed to look like fridges and washing machines - into the unoccupied property.

Word soon got around that a local landlord was using the property to stockpile expensive electrical goods and furniture bought with grants for incoming asylum seekers.

Later that came evening a burglar forced his way into the house, unaware what was in store for him.

And as he tried to get into the box he thought was a £300 fridge, the undercover officer burst out and made the arrest.

A source said: 'When the vans started arriving and large packages came out, looking like fridges, the word soon got about and there was a lot of interest.

"Someone broke into the house and started opening the boxes and that's when the police started coming out of them."

A resident In Cairo Street said: "It's a clever idea and I suppose the police have to try something different now and again to catch the villains."

Detective Inspector John Watts, of Sunderland City CID, said: " A man broke into a house in Cairo Street at 10pm last Wednesday. On-duty police officers were in the house as part of a pre-planned operation. When he came in they arrested him."

Five years ago police in Sunderland used a similar sting when they set up a bike shop in Southwick to trap bicycle thieves at work in the town. It was rumbled when unsuspecting colleagues raided the business.

An 18-year-old man has appeared before Sunderland Magistrates charged with burglary and was remanded in custody