A burglar who broke into a house in Suffolk and stole valuable paintings and furniture worth more than £15,000 has been jailed for five years.

The stolen property was being stored in an attic room at Hartest Place at Hartest near Bury St Edmunds prior to the owners moving into the property, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

A screwdriver from a toolbox in a barn was used to force open the kitchen window and a side gate was opened to allow the stolen furniture and paintings to be loaded into a vehicle that was driven into the grounds.

Before the court was Timothy Killick, 56, of no fixed address, who admitted burglary at Hartest Place in October 2015 and an earlier burglary at Beach Farm, Heath Road, Hempstead, Norfolk.

Sentencing him Judge Martyn Levett said an untidy search had been made of the attic room and the stolen items had been stored there by the owners who were about to move into their new home.

Isobel Ascherson, for Killick, said her client had suffered a stroke earlier this year.