A PROFESSIONAL burglar who used a two-way radio to keep in touch with his accomplice during raids on houses in south Warwickshire has been jailed for six years.

Michael Juson, who was also ordered to serve the remaining 255 days of a previous sentence, was told by a judge at Warwick Crown Court the public was entitled to ''a substantial rest'' from his activities.

Juson, aged 37, of Knowle Close, Redditch, had pleaded guilty to two charges of burglary, one of attempted burglary and asked for five other offences to be considered.

Prosecutor Sarah Pedley said that in August a Mr Evans had a call at work from a neighbour to say someone was acting suspiciously near his home in Spernall Lane, Spernall.

The neighbour had seen a man climbing over a fence and getting into a gold-coloured Renault driven by a second man.

When Mr Evans got home he found two windows at the rear of his home had been smashed and jewellery, two cameras and other property worth £716 had been stolen.

Juson was arrested after police found the Renault near his home.

He claimed he had not used it for three days but in his home they found the binoculars, one of the cameras and some of the jewellery taken in the raid, all of which he claimed to have bought at a car boot sale.

Juson was granted bail and a week later he tried to break into a house in Tanworth-in-Arden by smashing a window while the owner was out.

He left after setting off the alarm and a boy who was out walking his dog noticed a nervous-looking man with an earpiece and then saw a second man, also with an earpiece, climbing over the gate.

He told the police and officers found a man called Neil Smith who was wearing an earpiece for a two-way radio.

As they questioned him, they heard an incoming call referring to the railway station so went there and found Juson wearing an earpiece and with the other radio.

Juson admitted breaking the window of the house and was again granted bail but failed to turn up at court.

After absconding, he fled to the Isle of Wight but stopped off on the way to break into a cottage in Alderbury, Wiltshire.

After his arrest on the Isle of Wight, Juson, who had 15 previous court appearances for burglary since 1983 and was on licence from a four-year prison sentence for burglary at the time, admitted that offence.

The burglaries he wanted taken into consideration were at houses in Ettington, Claverdon, Studley and Spernall.