A SERIAL burglar who took just a few pounds during a raid on a Wall Heath pensioner's home has been jailed.

The pensioner had left her door open because she was awaiting a delivery and Wayne Madlen went into the Wolverhampton Road property before driving off in a van.

But police were already on his trail because just minutes earlier the 41-year-old father of two had been spotted with a crowbar as he tried to get into a house in Meriden Avenue, Wollaston.

A neighbour saw Madlen, who quickly jumped over a fence before he could gain access to the house, while a second resident in the area took the registration number of his vehicle.

The van was then seen by a police in Wall Heath after Madlen burgled the pensioner's home and an officer saw him throw the purse out of a window.

At Wolverhampton Crown Court, Mohammed Hafeez, prosecuting, said Madlen had made 21 previous court appearances for a total of 61 offences and, at the time, he had been on licence from a 32 month jail term imposed for burglary.

Madlen, of Wellington Road, Bilston, admitted burglary and attempted burglary and he further asked Judge Amjad Nawaz to take into consideration two other burglaries.

He was sentenced to 39 months in prison.

The judge told him it was only because he had been confronted by the neighbour that he had failed to get into the Wollaston house adding: "You had a crowbar so your intentions were pretty clear."

He said Madlen had a "terrible" criminal record and it was clear his offending, despite his recent release from custody, had "continued unabated."

The court was told unemployed Madlen had been in financial difficulties and he committed the offences to provide for his family.