A BURGLAR was caught and tackled to the ground after he attempted to break into the home of an off-duty police officer.

Lee Shearer admitted attempting to enter as a trespasser an address in Droitwich Road, Worcester on July 16 last year. He also admitted attempting to gain access to the Blue Diamond Garden Centre, also in Droitwich Road, on the same date.

The 44-year-old, who was asked by the clerk to take his baseball cap off when he entered the court, had been due to stand trial for attempted burglary but changed his pleas to guilty when he appeared at Worcester Crown Court on Wednesday.

Worcester drug dealer sits beside mum in courtof Packington Road, Droitwich

No evidence was offered by the prosecution on a further charge (a not guilty verdict was entered) and a further count will be permitted to lie on file, at least until the next hearing.

No details of these counts were discussed in open court but we have previously reported how Shearer was also accused of 'going equipped to steal' by having metal 'S' hooks and bent metal wiring on him on the same day. He was also accused of another attempted domestic burglary.

Shearer has been on an electronically tagged curfew at his home address as part of his bail conditions for the offences. However, his barrister, Joshua Percer, raised concerns that 'there had been some difficulties with the monitoring equipment'. He said the device had indicated Shearer was not indoors while he was 'cutting turkey' in the address over the Christmas period.

Judge Nicolas Cartwright said he had been aware of difficulties with the signal in the Malvern Hills but added: "I'm not sure even there it would affect the curfew electronic monitoring." He ordered that bail conditions continue as before as he adjourned the case for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.

Judge Cartwright said: "I simply observe that everything should be done to make sure the monitoring equipment is set up properly and working."

The sentence was adjourned until February 2 for a half hour sentence hearing. "The fact I'm adjourning sentence, giving you bail and ordering a pre-sentence report isn't to be taken as any sort of indication or promise as to what the sentence will be. That will be up to the judge on the day," the judge told him.