A BURGLAR has been jailed after attempting to break into a house in Runcorn as the occupants slept upstairs.

Callum Quirk, 20, was disturbed by the homeowners’ daughter and fled the property empty handed.

On Wednesday, August 15, he admitted attempted burglary at Chester Crown Court and was handed 18 months behind bars.

Quirk, of Maple Avenue, attempted to force entry to a house on nearby Morval Crescent at around midnight on Sunday, July 15.

As he was doing so, the homeowners’ daughter went to get a glass of water from the kitchen – disturbing the would-be burglar, who left empty handed.

Police discovered Quirk’s fingerprints on a window he had tried to gain access to the property through, and he was arrested the following day.

In addition to his jail sentence, Quirk was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £140.

Detective constable Ciara Murphy said: "I am pleased to see that Quirk is now behind bars and I hope that this acts as a deterrent to others thinking of committing similar offences.

“Having your home broken into – the place you should be able to feel most safe – is extremely distressing, and it was only by pure chance that Quirk was disturbed before he could commit his crime.

“I hope that the sentence handed to Quirk will provide some closure for the victims and give him time to reflect on the distress he has caused.”