A burglar stole a neighbour's carpet and had it re-laid in his own home five doors away, a court was told.

Shaine Preston, 26, of Secrets Close, Carlton Colville, broke into the woman's bungalow while she was away.

But he was arrested after police found his DNA on a discarded latex glove which he left at the property.

On Tuesday at Ipswich Crown Court, Preston was sentenced to 12 months in jail after admitting burglary.

Prosecutor Catherine Bradshaw told the court that at about 8.50pm on June 18, a neighbour heard a noise coming from the unoccupied bungalow and contacted the owner, who alerted police.

When police arrived, a bathroom window had been smashed with a brick, which was lying in the bath.

Carpet and underlay in the conservatory had been pulled up and stolen, along with a TV, remote control and other items, she said. The carpet was valued at about £726, and the TV and remote at about £194.

Preston had been able to remove the carpet from the conservatory after a finding a key to a locked door.

The court heard that when police arrested Preston, who has 13 aliases and numerous dishonesty convictions, he insisted another man was involved and that he had been asked to help move an old carpet.

After taking it out of the property, he said, the man had laid the carpet on his stairs and landing.

He admitted discarding the TV in a nearby field. However, he denied taking any of the other items.

Although Preston gave the name of the 'other man' to police, he had not been charged, the court heard.

Andrew Thompson, mitigating, said Preston, who was unemployed, had been drinking on the night he was asked to help following the break-in and 'was somewhat at a loose end at the time of the offer'.

Mr Thompson said: 'He was approached by an acquaintance he knew moderately well who indicated he needed help to move property from a building. The defendant's address and this address were fairly close.

'He did go and get a latex glove from home in order to assist his acquaintance carrying it (the carpet) out.'

Sentencing Preston, Judge Rupert Overbury said the bungalow had been damaged during the break-in.

He told him: Breaking into other people's homes whether they are unoccupied or not is a serious offence against the community. It affects other people's lives. It affected the owner's life in this case.'