Burglar Colin Evans was caught red-handed after he broke into a house in Black Notley.

A court heard how 19-year-old Evans was stopped on the drive of the house in London Road after a neighbour became suspicious and called police.

Evans, of no fixed address, was found with a bag of stolen property including jewellery when police searched him.

Officers also found a small amount of cannabis in his pocket and another small amount of the drug when they searched a flat in Southend where he was living at the time.

Evans admitted charges of burglary and drugs possession on January 18. He appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court for sentence on Friday and was sent to a young offenders' institution for a total of three years.

Lyall Thompson, mitigating, said Evans checked to see there was no one in the house as he did not want to disturb them.

He now understands the pain burglaries cause other people, Mr Thompson said.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.