A bungling burglar was caught after police followed a trail left in Worcester’s heavy snow last year.

Benjamin Rogers was seen acting suspiciously around garages in Warndon Villages.

Police found him pushing a wheelbarrow, which contained a new cooker, said Charles Hardy, prosecuting.

They followed the trail back to two garages, Worcester Crown Court was told.

He also broke into another garage in Warndon and stole shears and chocolates. His DNA was found on a soft drink bottle.

In a third incident, 26-year-old Rogers, of Durham Road, Ronkswood, Worcester, stole boots and hairspray from his sister after she moved back to live with their mother.

Rogers pleaded guilty to burglary, attempted burglary and theft.

Judge Alistair McCreath said they were not trivial offences because raids on garages adjacent to houses left the owners upset.

But he recognised that Rogers had a long-standing heroin problem which needed tackling.

He gave him a two-year community order with 12 months’ drug rehabilitation and a three-month overnight curfew for three months.

Cox was bailed after the first raid on December 6 when he left his DNA. The other garage crimes happened on December 22.

He had two house burglaries on his record.

Gary Harper, defending, said Cox had been dependent on drugs from the age of 18.

He had sought recent help for his drug use and was now on the heroin substitute methadone.