A 20-year-old man has been jailed for 23 months after admitting a string of burglaries across Lowestoft.

Travis Aldred, of no fixed abode, was convicted at Ipswich Crown Court on Wednesday, February 27.

He pleaded guilty to a charge of burglary at a property in Ashfield Crescent, Lowestoft, on December 2 last year.

The court heard how a resident of the burgled premises had come downstairs at 5.50pm and found the front door open and items missing from the living room.

Aldred stole two laptops, a mobile phone and passports during the break-in.

He was arrested on Thursday, January 10, after his fingerprints were found on a door frame.

Aldred was taken to Great Yarmouth Police Investigation Centre for questioning by detectives and was subsequently charged.

However, between being charged and appearing at court Aldred chose to work with officers from Suffolk Police's Operation Converter team and went on to admit a further four offences.

The crimes, which took place between November and December, include three further burglaries of homes and theft from a car.

During two burglaries, in Pinewood Avenue and Southfield Gardens respectively, Aldred entered the properties only to leave empty handed.

However at another in Oakwood Avenue he stole a mobile phone.

And on Dell Road overnight between December 18 and 19 he stole a handbag from a parked Chrysler car.

In court Natasha Nair, who was defending Aldred, said had been homeless and had run up a drug debt as a result of smoking more cannabis than he could afford.

A Suffolk Police spokesman added: 'Operation Converter is an initiative aimed at encouraging offenders to admit their crimes.

'This has benefits for all – police are able to give victims some peace of mind that an offender has been caught for the burglary of their home or the theft of their property and the individual has the opportunity to clear their slate so they can have a fresh start when they are released from prison, without the possibility they will later be traced for a further offence.

'Offenders have to give sufficient detail for officers to be sure they have committed the crime and these offences are then 'taken into consideration' at sentencing. The judge will look at all the offences before determining the sentence.'