A SERIAL burglar who was caught on film as he raided a Brierley Hill house to fuel his £3,000 a month heroin habit has been jailed for four years.

David Craig, who was spending £100 a day on the class A drug, walked into the Bradford Road property through an open door and stole a wallet and a purse.

The 33-year-old also got into a house in West Bromwich just days later when he again got away with a purse, said Jennifer Josephs, prosecuting.

She told Wolverhampton Crown Court that Craig had a long list of previous convictions for dishonesty - including a string of burglaries committed in the Dudley area.

Miss Josephs said that after making his escape from the Brierley Hill house, the owners checked their CCTV footage and alerted police.

When the footage was watched by investigating officers, they immediately recognised Craig and he was quickly arrested.

Craig, of Suffolk Road, Dudley, admitted carrying out the two raids and he was told by Recorder Jason McAdam it was serious offending because he was on licence from prison at the time for a previous burglary.

"I accept you have shown remorse but it is hinged with self-pity." he told Craig.

"You were having to find £100 a day to buy drugs and there was no other way for you to fuel your habit but to commit crimes."

Rashad Mohammed, defending, told the court that Craig had been a long time drug addict but he was hoping to take steps to resolve the problem.