A MAN has been jailed for two years after committing four burglaries in just 10 days all to fund his drug habit.

Scott Quinn, of no fixed abode, had been recognised from CCTV footage taken at Renoufs cheese and wine bar in Westbourne - the first of the burglaries.

On November 13 he smashed his way through the front door and crawled to the bar before making off with £100 in cash and £1,000 in vouchers.

Within a few days he targeted neighbouring Woosters of Westbourne coffee shop - again by breaking in through the shop's glass frontage - and stole £28 in staff tips and £85 from the till.

Sometime between November 19-21 he broke into The Sandwich Box on Christchurch Road in Pokesdown where traces of his blood was found. There he had also smashed a window to gain entry and a rock was left inside. The incident cost the coffee shop owners £300 to repair the glass door.

Then just a few days later he targeted Beyond the Gate Florist in Barrack Road, Christchurch. He stole £39.70 in cash, two charity boxes for Cancer Research UK and Help for Heroes, as well as a laptop. The damage to the front door cost £230 to repair.

He was arrested the day he stole £74 worth of steaks from Marks and Spencer in Christchurch.

Prosecutor Timothy Acres told Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday (JAN 6): "In all of these offences the offender seems to use the same modus operandi - smashing glass to gain entry."

He called 42-year-old Quinn "a prolific burglar" with "a number of burglary matters on his record".

Mitigating was Kevin Hill who said Quinn had been released from prison on November 3 last year.

"He pleaded guilty at the very earliest opportunity," he said.

Mr Hill told the court Quinn had been living at Hope Housing where he was evicted for drug use.

"Everything fell apart for him and he started using almost straight away," he said. "He felt he had nowhere to turn except the thought of returning to prison."

Mr Hill said Quinn committed the burglaries "partly as a cry for help".

Judge Jonathan Fuller QC sentenced Quinn to two years in prison for each of the burglaries, and eight months for the theft, to run concurrently.

He said Quinn had "an appalling record dating back many years", adding: "You have committed similar offences since 1995 and all these I understand have been in an attempt to fund your drug habit."