A burglar who broke into an Ipswich house on Christmas Eve and stole Christmas presents has been jailed for two years.

The owner of the property in Minsmere Road, Ipswich, who lived at the property with her two children was in bed at 5am on December 24 when she heard a noise downstairs and went to investigate, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

When she opened the living room door she saw a figure leaving through the dining room doors and then found some Christmas presents had been stolen, including a £50 games console voucher which was a present for her son, said Jane Oldfield, prosecuting.

Before the court was Michael Taylor, 34, of Rands Way, Ipswich, who admitted stealing a games console voucher during a burglary at Minsmere Road, Ipswich.

He also admitted shoplifting from five Ipswich Co-op stores, handling stolen bank cards, theft of £900, attempted theft and burglary with intent to steal.

Miss Oldfield told the court the shoplifting offences related to the theft of food and other items worth a total of £160 from Co-op stores in Queens Way, Clapgate Lane, Whitney Close, Rands Way and Hines Road, Ipswich in September and October last year.

The burglary with intent to steal happened on October 15 at the Sea Transport warehouse in Ipswich where Taylor was found near a bag containing 50 pairs of jeans worth £3,500 next to a pallet which had been ripped open.

The handling, theft and attempted theft offences happened in September last year when Taylor used a stolen bank card to obtain £900 cash from a cashpoint and made an unsuccessful attempt to get money from another machine.