TWO burglars who stole wrapped Christmas presents after breaking into a caravan in Stourport have been jailed.

Joe Glyptis, 26, and Ernie Taylor, 27, both of Stourport, took the gifts worth £600 from a caravan outside a home at The Birches.

The duo appeared before Kidderminster Magistrates where they were jailed for 18 weeks after admitting the burglary, which took place on December 17 last year.

Glyptis, of The Gables Yard caravan park in Broach Road, and Taylor, of Lickhill Road, were also given concurrent six-week sentences after admitting the theft of a wheelie bin, which they had stolen from another property nearby in Willowdene to transport the presents.

The pair were caught after Stourport patrol officers PC Paul Modley and PC Stephen Harris recognised Glyptis and Taylor from descriptions phoned in by a member of the public and tracked them down to a caravan park.

They were overheard by the officers talking about the crime inside a caravan.

A search led to the wheelie bin being found nearby along with the wrapping paper inside it. Police subsequently recovered all the stolen presents, which included clothing and toys.

Speaking after the case, PC Modley said that when the presents were recovered the elderly woman who owned them did not even realise they were missing. She was traced after police found her details on a discarded box inside the wheelie bin.

PC Modley said: “Glyptis and Taylor were arrested very quickly and it was fitting that they were remanded in custody over the Christmas period because the theft of the presents could have ruined the festivities for the victim and her relatives.

"Fortunately there was a happy ending for her while the offenders ended up losing their liberty over Christmas – you could say they got their just desserts.

“We’re very grateful to the gentleman who reported this pair acting suspiciously in the area that night and it illustrates the importance of telling us when you see such activity rather than doing so hours or even days afterwards.

"It’s something we have been stressing as part of our Citadel initiative addressing burglary and this is a classic example of an occasion when we have been able to quickly follow up on information and get a result.

“The force takes burglary very seriously and those who commit such crimes can expect custodial sentences, as has happened in this case.”