A PROFESSIONAL burglar who targeted houses in Evesham and Stratford through cat flaps so he could reach in and take keys to the doors has been warned to expect a prison sentence.

And his former partner, who received property from raids in Warwickshire, Worcestershire and the West Midlands has been given the same warning.

Tony Finnikin and Stephanie Wright had both denied conspiring to burgle houses between September 2000 and April last year and conspiring to handle stolen property.

But on the day they were to stand trial at Warwick Crown Court Finnikin, aged 47, of Field Street, Wolverhampton, pleaded guilty to three charges of burglary, one of attempted burglary and one of receiving stolen property.

And Wright, aged 30, of Cavendish Garden, East Park, Wolverhampton, admitted five charges of receiving stolen goods.

Included in Finnikin's charges was the burglary of a house in Northwick Road, Evesham where a handbag, a mobile phone, credit cards, a purse, a lighter and cash was stolen.

Wright's offences included receiving a handbag taken during a burglary at a house in Kings Road, Evesham, and a purse from a house in Northwick Road, Evesham.

Prosecutor Andy Smith accepted their pleas, and the original conspiracy charges were deleted.

At an earlier hearing the court was told Finnikin specialised in targeting properties, particularly Victorian houses, with catflaps, and would reach through to grab keys which had been left in the locks at night.

Police attention focused on Wolverhampton after credit cards stolen in burglaries at several houses in the same street in Stratford were used in the city, although Finnikin had not admitted involvement in any of those raids.

Judge James Pyke adjourned the case for the reports to be prepared and granted both defendants bail.

But he also warned: "Neither Finnikin nor Wright is to expect anything other than the appropriate custodial sentences for offences of this nature."