A BRAZEN burglar piled his neighbour's possessions in a wheelbarrow and trundled down the street with them.

But an eagle eyed pensioner spotted what he was doing in broad daylight and told police when she realised a house had been broken into.

At Bolton Crown Court Nicholas Wells was jailed for nine months by Judge Graeme Smith who told him: "This was a particularly brazen burglary.

"When people were around you broke into Mr Bradley's property and took so much from it that you took his own wheelbarrow and wheeled it along the road to your own home.

"There was a certain degree of foolishness in acting that way because it made it very easy for you to be identified."

Nicola Carroll, prosecuting, told how gas engineer Mark Bradley had left his home in Blenheim Road secure while he was working away on November 6 last year.

Despite the house having an extensive security system and CCTV, 36-year-old Wells, who lived further up the street, prised open a side gate with a spade at around 8am and then used a piece of wood to force open bi-fold doors.

Once inside the house Wells spent half an hour gathering almost £7,000 worth of property including a Samsung TV and sound bar, Macbook, iPhone, and other items including a Tag Heuer watch.

"The defendant stole so much, in fact, that he struggled to carry it all from the property and so her brazenly stole the victim's own wheelbarrow to cart away his look," said Ms Carroll.

"He was seen by an elderly neighbour and when she later discovered that Mr Bradley's property had been burgled, she put two and two together and the police were contacted."

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Wells was arrested two days after the theft, with most of the stolen property still at his home. Police also found amphetamines on him.

He was immediately recalled to prison as he was still on licence for an attempted robbery committed in 2005.

In a victim statement Mr Bradley, who had spotted the burglary happening on his CCTV app, told the court that he now feels on edge and is constantly checking his property.

Elizabeth Evans, defending, stressed that Wells, who pleaded guilty to burglary and possessing amphetamine, is now seeking help for drugs problems and his mental health difficulties are being adversely impacted by being in custody.

But sentencing Wells, Judge Smith told him: "Any burglary of someone's home is invasion of their privacy and causes disruption.

"Although most items have been recovered I can well understand why Mr Bradley feels that in some way they are tarnished by the fact that you had taken them."