A drug addict trying to fund his habit through crime has been jailed for three and a half years after an attempted Burglary at a sheltered accommodation complex for the elderly.

John Surtees, 30, of Hillcrest Road, Queensbury, was seen by residents acting suspiciously outside the bungalows in Ashbourne Crescent, on April 25, Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday.

Police later found the door of one of the houses had been tampered with.

Surtees asked Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC to take into account nine other offences, all of which were house burglaries committed between November, 2007, and March, 2008.

After yesterday’s hearing Detective Sergeant Rob Worley, of Bradford South Burglary Team, said: “We continue to put every effort into pursuing those responsible for burglary.

“Tackling this type of crime is a priority and we are acutely aware of the effect it can have on the victim. It is vital that we remove such offenders from the community and put the fear of crime straight back on those who commit it.”