A DOZY burglar who was caught after leaving a half-eaten biscuit at the scene will be tasting porridge for 12 months.

Michael Metcalfe stole more than £4,000 worth of goods, including a valuable Hasselblad camera, when he ransacked a 85-year-old man's home.

But the 33-year-old's decision to drop the biscuit led police to his door when his DNA was recovered from his saliva on the snack.

Metcalfe broke into the pensioner's home, where he has lived for 70 years, while he was away for the weekend, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Vicki Lamballe, prosecuting, said the pensioner discovered his home had been ransacked when he returned from a weekend away and found the half-eaten biscuit on the floor.

She said: "A number of high value photographic equipment was stolen, including a panoramic camera worth £3,000 – none of the goods were recovered.

"Saliva on the biscuit was used to identify the defendant."

Miss Lamballe said the pensioner, in a victim personal statement, said: "I have always felt safe in my house but now I feel unsafe and fears the perpetrator will return."

Metcalfe, of West View Road, Hartlepool, pleaded guilty to the burglary on June 15 this year.

Stephen Constantine, in mitigation, said his client had been taking heroin and sleeping pills at the time of the offence so had no recollection of carrying out the burglary.

"This was out of character," he said. "When you look at the pre-sentence report you will see he found himself at a very low ebb and he had started taking drugs.

"Then followed a downward spiral and he found himself homeless after his parents threw him out because they didn't like his drug taking."

Mr Constantine said Metcalfe had no recollection of the burglary as he had been taking heroin and sleeping tablets at the time and didn't know that the occupier of the house was an 85-year-old man.

Urging the judge to pass a suspended sentence, he added: "Relationships have been mended with his mother and he will be welcomed back into the family home – if he can stay off the drugs."

The judge, Recorder Richard Woolfall, jailed Metcalfe for 12 months telling him that only an immediate custodial sentence was appropriate.

He said: "You searched every room, items were strewn all over the place, you even went as far as stealing his biscuits.

"You stole a £3,000 Hasselblad camera, I accept it was unlikely that you knew the real value of these items; I accept you saw something shiny that could be sold to pay for your drugs and you stole it.

"The victim now feels unsafe in his own home and to that away from somebody, particularly somebody in their later years, is cruel. Understandably, he fears that you could return.

"This offence is so serious that only a custodial sentence is appropriate."