Two burglars were thwarted by a member of the public who alerted police after seeing torches in the office of a Norwich garage.

Joseph Cartman, 40, and James Newton, 30, broke into a garage at Denmark Opening, off Sprowston Road in Norwich.

Norwich Crown Court heard a witness was in the area heard a “loud metallic bang” coming from inside the garage between 11.10pm and 11.20pm on July 28 this year.

Duncan O’Donnell, prosecuting, said the member of the public “saw movement in the yard” as well as “two torches inside the office building”.

He said the witness called police and remained on the phone watching the two torches.

The raiders ran out onto Denmark Opening but were stopped on Sprowston Road by a police van.

Newton was found to be carrying a torch as well as disposable gloves and also had a shotgun cartridge on him.

It was later discovered the garage had been broken into with damage to a metal gate as well as signs that office door had been forced.

Nothing, however, was thought to have been stolen.

Cartman, of Clancy Road, Norwich, appeared in court on Thursday (October 7) to be sentenced having admitted burglary.

Newton, of Romany Road, Norwich, also appeared after having admitted burglary and possessing ammunition without a firearms certificate.

Jailing both defendants for a for a total of 26 weeks Recorder Douglas Edwards QC said both had “dreadful” records and was “entirely satisfied” the custody threshold had been crossed.

Rob Pollington, mitigating for Newton, said he admitted the offences, which occurred just a month after he had been released from a previous sentence.

Mr Pollington said he was free from drugs on his release but after being in a hostel was “back to committing offences linked to the use of drugs”.

He said he was “frustrated” to find himself back in custody.

Andrew Oliver, for Cartman, said he pleaded guilty and accepted custody was “inevitable”.

He said he would have to start the process again of trying to sort out his drug addiction and his accommodation when he was released.