A SHOP raider trapped by saliva on his home-made mask has been jailed for three years.

Scott Mainland and two accomplices stole cigarettes worth more than £3,000 after burgling two neighbouring premises on the same night.

They escaped in a stolen rally car, dropped Mainland off at a safe house, but then got involved in a chase with police before crashing.

Mainland's balaclava was found in a tree near the scene. It was made from a sweatshirt sleeve, which carried his DNA profile in saliva.

A jury at Worcester Crown Court convicted the 28-year-old from Streton Close, Coseley, of aggravated vehicle taking and two burglaries.

After the verdicts, it was revealed that he had 19 convictions for burglary and five for dangerous driving. He had already served 15 custodial sentences.

Recorder Douglas Readings said he could show no mercy to a man who was a burglar. He also imposed a 12-month driving ban.

Accomplices Roy Highfield, aged 24, of Shaw Road, Wolverhampton, and Lee Wright, also 24, of Phoenix Rise, Blakenhall, pleaded guilty to similar offences last year at Hereford Crown Court.

They were both given 27-month jail terms.

The court heard that the trio came to Worcester in a Subaru Impreza on November 13, 1999, stolen from an M6 service station in Staffordshire.

They targeted Martins Newsagents and Parry's store in the St John's area of the city, bundling cigarettes and cigars into the car inside dustbins.

Highfield and Wright were arrested at the crash scene near Ombersley but Mainland was questioned and charged while serving a 30-month sentence for another commercial burglary and driving crimes, said Nicolas Cartwright, prosecuting.

Defence counsel Charles Digby conceded that Mainland had a very bad record for his age.