AN observant council worker helped to catch a burglar, a court heard yesterday.

Michael McDermott, who works for Darlington Borough Council, saw men behaving suspiciously and called the police, Teesside Crown Court was told.

His vigilance saw one of the thieves, Mark Costen, 20, jailed for two years and nine months.

Paul Cleasby, prosecuting, said Costen and two others burgled a house in South Terrace, Darlington, on March 20.

Mr McDermott, who has worked for the council for 12 years, was driving a road sweeper when he saw the men.

Mr Cleasby said Mr McDermott knew the men were not from the area and watched as they went into a garage. He thought this was suspicious, so he called the police.

The thieves had ransacked the house, searching cupboards and drawers in all but one room.

Police saw the three burglars leaving the house through a window and pursued them. The police spotter plane was also called out, and Costen was caught.

After his arrest, Costen, of Pensbury Street, Darlington, said: "You can't prove it, I haven't done anything."

Mr Cleasby said this was the third time Costen had been convicted of house burglary recently.

The other men involved in the burglary had already been sentenced, he said.

Dan Cordey, for Costen, said drugs were at the heart of his offending and he had tried several times to come off them but had "failed miserably".

He said he now wanted to go to a drug-free wing in a young offenders' institution, and as the father of a 17-month-old daughter wanted to set a better example to his child.

Judge Esmond Faulks gave Costen credit for his guilty plea and ordered him to serve 88 days of unexpired license and a 30-month sentence.