TWO career criminals responsible for a spate of burglaries and thefts across the region were last night starting six-year prison sentences.

Carl Lee, 32, and Mark Nixon, 27, were told they had brought terror and misery to householders on Teesside and in North Yorkshire in January.

The Middlesbrough pair struck in the dead of night or early-morning - always when it was dark, and mostly while the occupiers were asleep.

On several occasions they were disturbed, and one home-owner was so shocked she fell downstairs, dislocating a thumb and breaking a toe.

The judge, Recorder Tim Roberts, QC, heard how a victim moved out immediately because of the impact, and another blamed the break-in for her relationship breakdown.

He told them: "You launched a two-man crime-wave on the householders of this area, travelling up to a 30-mile radius from where you live.

"You could not care less whether you were disturbed or not. You wreaked terror on them. You were both on licence from prison at the time."

Teesside Crown Court heard how Lee had been out of jail just a matter of days before the first offence in Abdale Avenue, Middlesbrough, on January 4.

Often, the intruders would steal car keys as well as valuables and take the family vehicle. Other times, they fished through the letterbox for the keys.

On January 21, they fled from a house in Wolviston, near Billingham, when a security light came on as they walked up the drive.

A short time later, a Peugeot estate was taken from nearby, and it was used in two raids in Thirsk within the next two hours.

At a final burglary during that spree, a man came downstairs at his home in Normanby, near Middlesbrough, at 7.20am and saw an intruder fleeing from his kitchen.

The estate car was dumped, but the pair stole a Toyota Yaris from another home in Middlesbrough, before resuming their activities in the early hours following.

Prosecutor Martin Towers said two more "two-in-one" burglaries were committed in Northallerton and nearby Hutton Rudby where a Mercedes and a Subaru Impreza were also taken.

Acting Detective Sergeant Tom Legg said outside of court: "Burglary is a very personal and intrusive crime and these are examples of thieves committing crime indiscriminately, gaining access to homes due to them being insecure or using items to hook keys.

β€œIt is important that people are aware of the steps that they can take to help prevent themselves from becoming victims, such as keeping doors and windows locked, installing security lighting and moving valuable items such as car keys away from hallways and out of sight. Simple measures such as this are cost-free but could deter someone from breaking into your home.”

Robin Denny, for Lee, who has 82 previous convictions and was given seven years for conspiracy to burgle in 2012, said: "At least he pleaded guilty to these matters, albeit at the last moment."

Nixon, who has 52 previous convictions, also admitted seven burglaries and four thefts, as the pair were due to go on trial.

His lawyer, Rachel Dyson, said: "He has had custodial sentences since he was 13. He wants to see this as a watershed."