TWO burglars were caught red-handed inside a convenience store after being prevented from escaping via a hole in the roof by the shop owner.

Ali Zaman was woken by his wife Sumera after she received notification of the alarms activating at Dawdon Store, in Seaham, County Durham, at 4am on January 8.

Durham Crown Court heard he drove to the store, in Queen Alexandra Road, as his wife rang the police.

Jonathan Harley, prosecuting, said Mr Zaman was joined by a neighbour, who was a regular customer.

They noticed the hole in the shop roof, which had been an entry point for a previous burglary at the store.

Mr Harley said Mr Zaman climbed onto the roof and looked through the hole to see two balaclava-clad figures in the shop.

He prevented them getting out, although one lashed out at him with a roof slate, cutting his hand and shin.

The pair were then heard trying to flee by forcing the locked shop door, but were unable to get out by the time police arrived and arrested them, still inside the shop.

Mr Harley said the perpetrators, Richard Rodgerson and Paul Richard Rawling, made no comment to police.

But 33-year-old Rodgerson, of Long Newton Street, Seaham, and Rawling, 42, of no fixed abode, admitted a charge of burglary at a previous court hearing.

The court heard both agreed to take part in the Restorative Justice scheme, apologising to Mr Zaman, but he was said to be unimpressed by their “remorse”.

During mitigation, Judge Christopher Prince tried to establish which of the pair had lashed out at Mr Zaman with the roof slate.

Martin Scarborough, for Rodgerson, and Jennifer Coxon, for Rawling, both said their instructions were that their clients were not to blame.

Judge Christopher Prince adjourned the hearing for a trial of issue to establish who was responsible.

Both defendants, who appeared via video link from Durham Prison, will remain in custody, pending the hearing on April 4.