A smiling serial burglar was admonished by a judge before being given two years' youth custody.

Paul Howdle, 19, posed as a job seeker for many of the 16 break-ins which netted him property worth £1,500, Worcester Crown Court heard.

He kept smiling throughout the case and Judge David Matthews told him: "Your amused demeanour during the proceedings suggests no remorse whatsoever.

"I hope after your sentence your amusement will have dissipated. Burglary is neither clever nor funny."

Howdle, of Auxerre Avenue, Redditch, pleaded guilty to seven raids and asked for nine more break-ins and two thefts to be taken into consideration.

Prosecutor Paul Whitfield told how on October 1, Howdle called to see a team leader for sheltered accommodation in West Avenue about employment.

He was ordered to leave but staff then found lockers broken into and a purse, mobile phone and bank cards stolen.

One resident had her benefit book taken.

Howdle was filmed on a security video re-entering the premises an hour after he was told to go away.

Ten days later Howdle, disguised with a hood, snatched a handbag from offices in the Kingfisher Centre rented by a college.

Mr Whitfield said Howdle was given bail but then committed a string of offences, beginning with an office in Foregate Street, Worcester.

Howdle was remanded in custody after his last raid on a hairdressing studio on October 27.

He told police he needed to fund a £50-a-day heroin habit.

Kirsty Real, defending, said Howdle had targeted premises with open doors and had not been responsible for forced entries.

She said Howdle had made a suicide attempt by overdosing on heroin mixed with alcohol.

But while on remand, he had gone through 'cold turkey' and quit the drug.