A PROLIFIC Widnes thief has been jailed after committing a week-long burglary spree in which he targeted residential properties.

David Power appeared before Liverpool Crown Court today, Friday, having previously admitted three counts of burglary, one of attempted burglary and four of breaching his criminal behaviour order.

The court heard how the 42-year-old went on a week-long burglary spree in Widnes between September 17 and 23 this year.

His crimewave began when he attempted to break into a residential address in Woodland Avenue, before fleeing empty-handed.

Undeterred, later that day he went on to break into an industrial unit in the Appleton area of the town, climbing through a window to steal computer equipment.

Then on September 21, Power stole a quantity of jewellery from an address on Birchfield Road, after climbing onto the roof of an address and breaking in through a first-floor window.

His final offence occurred on September 23, when he broke into an address on Frederick Street and again stole a quantity of jewellery.

Although Power attempted to conceal his identity, his downfall came after he was identified by officers on CCTV footage.

Following the discovery, officers attended an address on Lacey Street in Widnes on September 25, where they located Power.

They also recovered some of the jewellery that had been stolen from the burglaries at Birchfield Road and Frederick Street.

In addition, Power was wearing some of the clothing that he had worn during the burglary spree.

Following his arrest, further forensic work was undertaken, which linked him to all four incidents.

Power, of Cunningham Road in Widnes, pleaded guilty to all of the charges before him and was sentenced to five years in prison.

The sentence was welcomed by Cheshire Police, with a spokesman stating: “We are delighted with the sentence that Power has been handed, and we hope it acts as a deterrent to others.

“The impact that burglaries have on victims is huge, and it can take a substantial amount of time for them to get over the effects of these crimes.

“Power was on a burglary crime spree that we are sure would have continued had he not been identified and promptly arrested.

“This investigation has been a great team effort, and thanks go to crime scene investigators and forensic services for providing key evidence that helped secure this conviction.

“Cheshire Police has a dedicated team of officers who deal with burglary offences, and hopefully this sentence acts as a deterrent to anybody engaging in this type of criminality.”