A BURGLAR who smashed his way into a Droitwich Spa supermarket was then involved in a 100mph car chase with police, a court heard yesterday.

Andrew Leary and an accomplice used a concrete block to force their way into Kwik Save, in the Saltway, where they grabbed four cases of whisky.

But they were tailed onto the M5 and, following a pursuit, tried to flee across country from the getaway car before being arrested.

Leary, aged 25, was responsible for two previous raids in Buckinghamshire when women's designer clothing worth £27,000 was stolen from shops, said prosecutor James Dunstan.

Jailing him for two years and nine months, Judge Michael Mott told Worcester Crown Court it was obvious he had targeted shops in well-planned crimes.

The judge said city magistrates, who gave Leary's accomplice eight months for the Droitwich burglary and dangerous driving, had made "a complete error of judgement" by handing out such a lenient sentence.

Kwik Save was burgled on October 27. Leary, of Langbar, Whiston, Liverpool, pleaded guilty to three burglaries. He committed the isolated spell of offending after he was made redundant and a three-year relationship broke up at the same time, said defending lawyer Graeme Simpson.

He was desperate for work and fell into bad company but he had no drink or drug problems, the court heard.