A window cleaner who helped burgle a home in West Caister after finding the owner was out was yesterday jailed for nine months by a judge who said it was a “mean” offence.

A window cleaner who helped burgle a home in West Caister after finding the owner was out was yesterday jailed for nine months by a judge who said it was a “mean” offence.

Lee Bryan, 30, called at properties with another man offering window cleaning services, and when they found one home was unoccupied, he acted as a lookout while the other man ransacked the property and took valuables including a neck chain and fob which belonged to the owner's grandmother and was of particular sentimental value.

Bryan was arrested after his DNA was found on a hat recovered from the scene, Norwich Crown Court heard.

A hairdryer which had been taken in the burglary was also recovered from his home.

Bryan, of Shakespeare Road, Yarmouth, admitted the burglary in July last year.

Jailing him, Recorder Guy Ayers told him: “This was a significantly mean offence.” He said he had put himself forward as a window cleaner and then took the opportunity to burgle someone's home by acting as a lookout. “You also shoulder the blame for what took place.”

Jonathan Morgans, mitigating, said: “He became involved through misplaced loyalty. This was out of character.”

He said that he had not realised the full extent of what was going on in the property.