A bungling burglar has been jailed after he was caught out by a Home Alone-style bucket trap.
The homeowners in Northumberland had set the snare after several recent reports of attempted break-ins in the local area.
They had rigged up a string with their house at one end, and a full bucket of water at the other, and shortly before 3am on 9 November last year, burglar Paul Howell fell prey to the trap.
He had attempted to gain entry to the house, in Bondicar Terrace in Blyth, but after springing the trap he fled the scene.
The overturned bucket led to the occupants checking their CCTV footage, and days later they reported the incident to Northumbria police.
Police officers recognised prolific burglar Howell, 56, from the footage, and arrested him at his home in Disraeli Street, Blyth.
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The court heard he had 108 previous convictions, including 25 burglaries dating back to 1986.
So akshually, the camera provided the proof and the police did the catching… The bucket appears to have played no real part in this story.