THREE men are facing lengthy prison sentences for their parts in an eight-month campaign of burglaries across the region.

Richard Copeland, Ian Froom and Glenn Milburn have confessed to 32 break-ins between June last year and February this year.

The offences were committed across County Durham, North Yorkshire, Teesside and the Northumbria Police force area by the travelling trio.

Milburn, 42, and Froom, 44, both from Redcar, east Cleveland, and Copeland, 35, whose address on court files is Holme House Prison, Stockton, will be sentenced on September 25.

At Teesside Crown Court, they pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit burglary, and were remanded in custody until their next appearance.

Julie Dixon, for Copeland, asked for a pre-sentence report to be compiled on him, but Judge Sean Morris ad said: "No, the Probation Service have better things to do."

He told the men: "It's a prison sentence - that's inevitable. It's just a matter of how long, and you will find that out when you come back."

Prosecutor Richard Bennett told the court that some of the victims were vulnerable, and impact statements from them will be prepared for the next hearing.

In asking for the probation report, Miss Dixon said: "Mr Copeland appreciates the eventual outcome of these proceedings.

"He is a man with a number of health problems and mental health difficulties, and a report may assist."

Kay Lodge, for Milburn and Froom, did not seek and adjournment for reports.

Judge Morris told the trio: "You will be given credit at the appropriate level for those pleas of guilty. It has been very sensible and the court recognises that."

Milburn, of Commondale Road, admitted his part in 14 offences, Copeland accepted involvement in 13 crimes and Froom, of Westfield Court, pleaded guilty to five.

Mr Bennett told the court: "Both defence solicitors have written to the Crown prior to these proceedings indicating the number of burglaries they were prepared to accept."