A cat burglar who scrambled up a drainpipe to steal two saxophones from a home has been jailed for 27 months.

Jason Johnston, 37, climbed up to a rear first floor bedroom window at a terraced property in Shorts Road, Carshalton.

He stole car keys, jewellery and two expensive saxophones to the total value of £6,000 during the burglary on August 25.

A police investigation led officers to Johnston, of Tweeddale Road, Carshalton, and he was arrested on September 3 and charged with burglary the following day.

At Croydon Crown Court on January 7, Johnston, who pleaded guilty, was sentenced to 27 months in prison.

Detective Constable Mark Cooper, of Sutton’s Crime Squad, said the windows on the Carshalton property had possibly been left unlocked.

He urged all residents that when they go out, or pop upstairs or into the garden for a short period, to always lock all external doors and windows.

Sutton Crime Prevention Officer PC Pat Simcox added that householders with UPVC doors should use their key to lock their doors even when they are inside their homes – to prevent an intruder from opening their door via the letterbox.