THREE burglars who broke into a cottage in a south Warwickshire village were caught thanks to the suspicions of the landlord of the local pub, Warwick Crown Court heard.

Simon Deardon, the licensee of the Three Horseshoes pub in Wixford, near Alcester, called police after seeing two of the raiders in the garden of the cottage.

Paul Southall, aged 19, of Gorsly Place, Quinton, Birmingham, was sentenced to 10 months detention after pleading guilty to the burglary.

Angela Palmer, prosecuting, said that in May, Mr Deardon was suspicious of a scruffy young man, Southall, who came into the pub at lunchtime asking to use the toilet.

When he left Mr Deardon looked out of the window and saw him get into a car with two other youths.

The car then reversed into a lane opposite the pub where it stopped at the side of Honeysuckle Cottage.

As Mr Deardon called police he saw Southall and another youth get out of the car and run into the garden.

Officers arrived shortly afterwards and arrested Southall as he came out of the driveway from the cottage, while the other two were arrested nearby.

A window had been jemmied open and some rings had been taken from a bedroom.

Mrs Palmer added that one of his accomplices had since been sentenced at Birmingham youth court for the burglary and other matters, while the case of the other one was pending at magistrates court.

Richard Franck, defending, said Southall had been addicted to heroin for three years.

Mr Franck added that Southall, who was epileptic and dyslexic, had genuine remorse for his involvement.