A DRUNKEN burglar who raided his friend's house has been jailed for 19 months.

Steven Bradshaw, 32, had forced his way into the victim's home while he was on holiday and stole two plasma screen televisions, Burnley Crown Court heard.

Bradshaw, who struck after a row with his partner, was caught out after a neighbour spotted him in the act and phoned the victim, who said straight away who it might be.

The defendant had been the subject of a suspended jail term at the time.

Bradshaw, of Rhyddings Street, Oswaldtwistle, admitted pleaded guilty last September and failing to surrender.

He was sent to prison for 19 months.

Sentencing, Judge Beverley Lunt said Bradshaw had a prolific history of breaching community orders and had been given the opportunity of a suspended sentence - but even that had not kept him away from crime.

The judge said the burglary was appalling and went on: "It was mean in the extreme and it's people like you that make people afraid to go on holiday because they don't know what's happening to their houses while they are away."

The court was told that Bradshaw had a lot of burglaries on his record and that he had breached community orders and the suspended sentence in the past.

Amanda Johnson, defending, said Bradshaw had been a chronic alcoholic since he was 18.

He had argued with his girlfriend, went to a friend's to calm down and on the way home he passed the house.

The barrister said: "In anger and without thinking, he kicked the front door of the property in.

"He only realised in the morning what he had done when he saw the two TV screens in his house. He had known the complainant for about 12 months and is extremely sorry."