A WANTED man who disappeared from hospital is behind bars today after being caught by police.Paul Ely was arrested in Orchard Street on Wednesday when an on-duty sergeant is thought to have recognised him.

A WANTED man who disappeared from hospital is behind bars today after being caught by police.

Paul Ely was arrested in Orchard Street on Wednesday when an on-duty sergeant is thought to have recognised him.

The 40-year-old disappeared last Monday after leaving Ipswich Hospital where he was being treated following an assault.

He left the hospital in his pyjamas while awaiting surgery for an injury to his jaw.

He had been due to appear at the town's crown court the following day to answer a charge of breaching a community order.

A warrant was issued for his arrest and police issued a media appeal in the hope he would be found.

But it was a police officer who eventually tracked down the heroin addict and arrested him on Wednesday evening.

Ely, of Station Street, Ipswich, appeared at Ipswich Crown Court the following day where he admitted breaching the order and failing to surrender to bail.

A charge of criminal damage to a police cell was also taken into consideration.

He damaged the cell's door on Wednesday morning, prior to his court appearance.

Ely had been given the two-year community and drug treatment order in September 2005 when he was convicted of burgling an Ipswich council house and stealing £200 of cigarette cards.

He was on licence at the time having been released from prison following another offence.

The community order has now been revoked and Ely has been resentenced to three months in prison for the burglary.

He has also been sentenced to serve six months concurrently for committing the offence while on licence.

Have you been a victim of burglary? Write to: Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail: eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.