A burglar who targeted three homes in the same day drove police to two more of his crime scenes in an attempt to 'wipe the slate clean'.

Scott Chesney, 40, broke into three homes in Bury St Edmunds on September 10 last year, shortly after his licence period expired for previous house burglaries.

In January 2016 he was jailed for 44 months for burglary and was released from prison in May last year.

Last September Chesney targeted three houses on Out Risbygate and Westley Road in the same day.

On the final occasion one of the residents returned and disturbed him, Norwich Crown Court heard on Thursday.

He left a bag at the scene containing a screwdriver and black gloves.

After his arrest he offered to lead police to on a "ride-around" where he pointed out two further homes he had burgled, including on Newmarket Road.

The court heard Chesney had 14 convictions for 47 previous offences. In 2006 he was jailed for two years for house burglaries, and for eight years in 2010 for attempted robbery.

Joanna Eley, mitigating for Chesney, said he had a "sad history" with drugs, which fuelled his offending.

She said after his release from prison last year Chesney had been "sporadically" using drugs while on licence, adding: "When he came out of prison on licence he was provided a property, but an associate of his left a syringe within the property and as a consequence he lost his accommodation.

"He was then found housing through the street homeless project but sadly another user who moved in offered him drugs, and he found the temptation too great to say no."

She said Chesney had begun using drugs aged 11, graduating to heroin and crack cocaine aged 18.

"He did a ride-around with the police because he wanted to wipe the slate clean," she said. "He is embarrassed by his behaviour and one day hopes his relationship with his 22-year-old daughter will improve."

Judge David Goodin jailed Chesney, of no fixed address, for 44 months.

He said: "I have read the police officer's perception of your genuine remorse and feeling for the people you deprived of their property of significant sentimental value.

"That is one of the evils of house burglaries. Chunks of people's lives get taken away."