A BURGLAR who posed as a builder to break into a property under renovation was easily sussed - because it was hours after clocking-off time.

Aaron Dunn turned up at the three-storey multi-occupancy house in Middlesbrough wearing a high-visibility jacket, Teesside Crown Court heard.

The 26-year-old scaled an 8ft high brick wall to get into the rear yard, then climbed up scaffolding to get in through an open upstairs window.

He took a flat-screen television off the wall of one of the flats, and filled a bin with a toaster, cleaning equipment, a knife block and some food.

A neighbour who saw him leaving was suspicious because it was 8pm, and called the police, prosecutor Jenny Haigh told Judge Peter Armstrong.

Dunn was caught nearby, admitted the things he had were stolen, told police he had taken Valium and zopiclone, and said: "I'm a bad tablet-head."

The court heard how Dunn - who has 92 previous offences on his record - was on an eight-week suspended sentence for shoplifting at the time of the break-in.

Eric Watson, mitigating, told Judge Armstrong: "The defendant accepts the position for what it is, and the suspended sentence will be imposed."

Dunn, of Marton Road, Middlesbrough, admitted the August 11 burglary, and was locked up for a total of 32 months - including the suspended term.

The judge told him: "You were under the influence of tablets, which is an aggravating factor, and, of course, your previous convictions don't assist you."