A MAN with a string of burglary convictions told police he was out jogging when they stopped him at 5am.

But officers investigating a break-in nearby found a carrier bag containing stolen property when they searched the area.

And a forensic examination of a shoe print at the scene of the burglary in Williams Drive, Blackburn, pointed towards Martin Haggan being the culprit.

Haggan, 32, of Fishmoor Drive, Blackburn was sent to prison for a total of two-and-a-half years when he appeared for sentence at Preston Crown Court.

He had pleaded guilty to one charge of burglary, with eight offences taken into consideration - six of those burglaries.

Miss Rachel Faux, prosecuting, said that a woman in Williams Drive saw the defendant climbing out of her living room window at 4.30am. Over £200 worth of belongings had been taken, including a Play Station, games and CDs.

The court was told that shortly at 5.05am officers were on waste ground in the nearby area when they spotted Haggan jogging and out of breath.

The court was told Haggan had 14 previous convictions for house burglary. In September 2002 he received two and a half years and had not been out of custody for long when the present offences arose.

Mr Charles Brown, defending, said heroin addiction had plagued Haggan since his younger life.