A burglar who was involved in a raid at a village store during which goods worth more than £3,000 were stolen has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Antonio Wells and another man forced open security shutters and smashed glass in a door at the Mace store in Sutton Heath before stealing cigarettes, lottery tickets, alcohol, a charity bucket and a fire extinguisher, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

The shop manager was at home in bed in the early hours of December 19 last year when she received an automated telephone call telling her that the alarm at the store had been activated, said Marc Brown, prosecuting.

When she got to the premises she saw a man come out of the store and get into a car and then noticed smoke coming from inside.She called the police and fire brigade and it was discovered that a notice board had been set alight, said Mr Brown.

He said property stolen during the burglary included lottery tickets worth £1,200, cigarettes worth £1,850 and alcohol worth £450.

CCTV footage showed two intruders using force to open metal shutters on the public entrance to the store and smashing glass in the door.

Blood spots were found on the premises and Wells was arrested after he was linked to the burglary by his DNA.

Wells, 31, of Ravenswood Avenue, Ipswich admitted burglary at the Mace store and burglary at the Golf Hotel in Foxhall Road and was given a two month prison sentence suspended for two years, 12 months supervision and a six month drug rehabilitation requirement.

Mr Brown told the court that Wells had stolen a purse and a mobile phone from an office at the Golf Hotel on September 1 last year.

Steven Dyble for Wells said his client had already left the Mace store when the notice board was set alight.

He said his client had owed money to his drug supplier and had been forced to take part in the burglary at the Mace store.

Mr Dyble said Wells had made efforts to give up drugs while he had been in custody since his arrest and had served the equivalent of an eight month prison sentence.