A TEENAGE burglar who broke into a house in Middlesbrough while on bail for other offences has been locked up for two years.

Teesside Crown Court heard Ian Dodds was under the influence of alcohol and or drugs when he stole electrical items and a frozen chicken from a property in the town's Williams Avenue in January.

The 19-year-old was already on bail for two other burglaries in Blyth, Northumberland, carried out last September.

He appeared for sentencing on Friday (February 22) having earlier admitted three charges of burglary.

Prosecutor Sue Jacobs said Dodds broke into one house in Blyth, stealing numerous items including a laptop, before breaking into a garage at a property in a nearby street, from which he stole alcohol.

Ms Jacobs said the victims in both the dwelling burglaries had been at home when the offences were committed.

Geoffrey Cross, mitigating, said Dodds had been "deeply unsettled" by changes in his family circumstances.

He said: "It is unfortunate that he is not regarded as suitable for a drug rehabilitation requirement.

"If that is the case, I cannot argue for anything other than a custodial sentence."

Dodds was sentenced to 12 months in a young offenders' institution for each of the house break-ins, to run consecutively.

A concurrent 12-week sentence was also imposed for the garage burglary.

The judge, Recorder Hilary Manley, told Dodds: "While on bail, you committed another burglary, at night, when the householders, a family, were in occupation.

"Thankfully, there was no confrontation, but nonetheless, these people had a right to feel safe in their home."