A BURGLAR who preyed on vulnerable and elderly people was last night behind bars for the latest in a series of break-ins at care homes on Teesside.

Ian Keith Lamming was told his offending was alarming and deserved a lengthy sentence by a judge who heard he threatened to use a knife in his most recent raid.

Teesside Crown Court heard yesterday that Lamming was confronted by staff when he broke into the Meadows residential care home, in Ormesby, on April 19.

The 35-year-old claimed to be a taxi driver and said he was at the home to collect a woman who had been visiting a resident, but was challenged by worker Sandra Larry.

Mrs Larry, 59, went to the office to summon help, but was followed by Lamming, who grabbed her handbag.

A tussle then ensued, and assistant Carole Mescus, 57, joined in.

The court heard that Lamming dragged both women through a corridor and out the door into the car park as they tried to hang onto the bag.

The brave workers refused to free their hold on the bag, but Lamming warned them: "Leave go, leave go. If you don't leave go, I'm going to stab you."

Lamming fled from the scene, but dropped a plastic-handled craft knife, which he later told police he had been using earlier in the day to cut up drugs.

Judge George Moorhouse heard how Lamming had 51 previous convictions, including 15 for burglary in the past three years alone.

Ian Mullarkey, prosecuting, said Lamming had burgled care homes across Teesside and North Yorkshire on four previous occasions since June 2001.

Ian Bradshaw, mitigating, said his client had never shown a propensity for violence in any of his previous break-ins.

Mr Bradshaw that that Lamming usually relied on glibness to get away from any confrontation.

"Generally, it has worked," he said. "On this occasion, sadly, the lady was not having any of it.

"He tried his usual approach of either being a taxi driver or delivering someone or something, but Mrs Larry was, quite frankly, sceptical.

"He was virtually rumbled as soon as he came through the front door, and there is no suggestion any of the residents were even aware."

Lamming, of Monkland Close, Middlesbrough, admitted aggravated burglary, and was jailed for four years.

Lamming, who was said to have turned to crime to feed drug addiction, was given a five-year ban by magistrates in June from going near care homes on Teesside and North Yorkshire