A 29-year-old man has been given a suspended sentence following a burglary in Ramsbury.

Luke Patterson, of Whitehill Close, Ramsbury, was sentenced on Monday after admitting to taking a bike worth £1,000 and power tools from a garage at a home in Ashley Piece.

Patterson was disturbed during the burglary on May 10 and witnesses spotted him fleeing in a blue vehicle.

Police tracked the man and the stolen vehicle down and arrested him for the burglary.

He was also charge with taking the vehicle without consent and driving without insurance and a licence.

He has been given a 26 week prison sentence suspended for 24 months. He must also complete a drug rehabilitation course and pay compensation of £1,179. His driving licence was also endorsed with six penalty points.

Community coordinator PC Teresa Herbert said: “This was a really good investigation by community policing team officers – as a result of the description given by the victim, we were able to locate and identify Patterson, and later arrest him once our enquiries were complete.

“This incident was understandably upsetting for the victims – the items stolen were expensive items and the burglary would have been distressing.

“We would continue to encourage residents to be mindful of their home security and to always report suspicious behaviour in their neighbourhood. Be a nosey neighbour and if you see any suspicious vehicles, make a note of registration plates.”