A burglar has been jailed after ransacking people’s homes while they were away on holiday.

Daniel Cornell, 36, of Ipswich Road, Colchester, was so callous he even opened anniversary cards which had been posted to one of the houses in an apparent attempt to look for any cash inside.

He appeared before Chelmsford Crown Court where he pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary, one count of handling stolen goods and two counts of theft from a motor vehicle.

He was sentenced to three years and seven months in prison.

Police managed to catch Cornell in Colchester town centre with some items from one of the burglaries which he was trying to sell to second-hand shops.

Further stolen goods were later recovered at his home address.

Cornell had been found with a camera stolen from a house in Andrews Gardens, Colchester, during a burglary which happened between August 1 and 4, 2012.

He had also burgled a house in Ipswich Road, Colchester, while the retired couple who lived there were away on holiday in March last year.

Police found DNA evidence on a tool used to break in through a window at the back of the property and also found a stolen laptop from the break-in at his home.

Cornell further admitted to burgling a house in Brickmakers Lane, Colchester, in September last year of high-value jewellery. Much of this had a sentimental value and was never recovered.

He also stole a bank card from a Ford Focus in De Grey Road, Colchester and a mobile phone from a Vauxhall Zafira in Gratian Close, Colchester, in August 2012.