TWO burglars who continued to break into houses in Aberystwyth even after they had been caught and released on bail have been jailed.

Jimmy Green, 26, of Gwynant, Llanilar, and Alex Smith, 20, of Cambrian Street, Aberystwyth, broke into a total of four houses - all at night and while the occupiers were in bed.

Swansea Crown Court heard that in March the pair had burgled 6 Edgehill Road and woke a young mother by turning on a landing light. They got away with a handbag containing a purse, a quantity of money and other items.

Then they broke into Tynygongle, Caradoc Road, from where they took they keys to a Peugeot Xpert van and Green drove it away with Smith in the passenger seat.

Dyfed Thomas, prosecuting, said they were arrested and released on police bail.

But in July they broke into two houses in Cambrian Street, stealing three framed pictures from the first and a computer keyboard and a mouse from the second.

Police were on the scene so quickly Green was arrested still inside the second house and Smith was found nearby.

Green and Smith admitted all four burglaries. Green also admitted taking the van without the owner’s consent and driving without a licence and Smith admitted allowing himself to be carried in the van knowing it had been taken without consent.

Mr Thomas said the offending meant that Green was in breach of a suspended prison sentence and Smith had breached the conditions of a community sentence.

Janet Gedrych, representing Smith, said he was shocked to find where drinking too much had taken him and after his release he planned “to get away from Aberystwyth” and live in Cardigan.

Judge Paul Thomas said even being arrested for the first two burglaries had not deterred Green.

The real harm, he added, was not the value of the items stolen but that people no longer felt safe inside their own homes after they had been “invaded” by burglars.

Green and Smith were jailed for two-and-a-half years. Green was also banned from driving for 21 months.