An elderly woman woke to find a burglar in the living room of her home, a court heard.

Before Suffolk Magistrates' Court on Friday was Raphael Cholerzynski, 25, of Anne Boleyn Close, Thetford, who pleaded guilty to seven counts of burglary.

Cholerzynski, who appeared via video link and spoke through a Polish interpreter, admitted seven burglaries, six of which took place between October 19 and November 23.

Magistrates heard how Cholerzynski burgled a home in Tennyson Way, Thetford, overnight between October 19 and 20, and stole a wallet containing bank cards, identification cards and a house key.

He then hit the Norfolk Terrier pub in Thetford overnight on October 27/28 and stole £1,000 in cash, before returning to the same pub on November 2/3 to take another £800 in cash.

On November 11, he targeted a home in Fairfields, Thetford, and stole a purse containing bank cards and a National Insurance card.

Another home in Fairfields was hit seven days later on November 18, where £120 in cash was stolen along with bank cards.

When Cholerzynski targeted a home in Sybil Wheeler Close, Thetford, an elderly lady discovered him in her living room.

An unknown sum of cash was taken following a burglary in Brandon Road, Watton, earlier on July 27.

Lucy Miller, prosecuting, said most of the homes were occupied when the overnight burglaries happened.

She said: "Mainly credit cards and bank cards were stolen and were then used to pay for online gambling."

After initially declining legal advice and pleaded not guilty to all charges via the live link, Cholerzynski then changed his mind and said he wanted a solicitor.

Following a consultation with Shelley Drew, Cholerzynski then returned to the courtroom via the video link to change his plea to guilty for all charges.

Magistrates in Ipswich declined jurisdiction and the case was sent to the crown court for sentence.

Magistrates remanded Cholerzynski in custody to appear at Ipswich Crown Court at a date to be fixed.

Magistrates also ordered a pre-sentence report to be undertaken prior to Cholerzynski's next court appearance.