ONE-MAN crime wave Barry Middleton has been jailed for five years and three months after admitting more than 60 burglaries.

The 23-year-old heroin addict struck at night while householders were asleep making off with cash, bank cards and any item he could sell.

Middleton, who used to live in Trowbridge, committed most of his offences in Calne but also raided homes in Chippenham, Bathampton and the Bristol area.

Nick Hawkins, prosecuting, said the first set of raids took place in Calne on the night of July 18 this year when he broke into two homes on Oxford Road.

At the first address he said the householder came down in the morning to find a video camera and champagne for her daughter's graduation stolen. On the same morning, a neighbour 15 doors away found a purse and contents as well as cash had been stolen.

A few nights later he raided a house on Stockley Lane, Calne, making off with a digital camera, champagne, radio controlled cars and other items, and a house on North Street where he took three bank cards.

He was arrested and released on bail, but towards the end of August he broke into a car in North Street, Calne, taking a stereo and some house keys.

The following night he broke into a house in Bryans Close Road and made off with £200 and a set of keys while the occupants were in bed.

Sometime in late August or early September he stole a Ford Sierra from Chippenham Accident Repair Centre.

He was again released on bail but on the night of September 14 he broke into a house in Bathampton stealing various items including cash and bank cards. The following night he raided a house in North Common to the north of Bristol and stole a credit card.

Mr Hawkins said that when Middleton appeared before magistrates in Chippenham, he tried to escape by jumping from the dock, but was soon apprehended.

Middleton, whose last address was in Portland, Dorset, pleaded guilty to seven burglaries, one attempted burglary, two thefts, possessing heroin and escape from custody.

Peter Codner, defending, said that his client had managed to get himself on the straight and narrow and stopped taking heroin, but fell back to his old ways.

Mr Hawkins said: "He accepts that he has to go to prison and it is not going to be for a short time."

He said that after getting back on heroin, Middleton ran up a debt of £2,000 to a dealer who at one point threatened him with a gun.

"It is no excuse but he found himself between a rock and a hard place. He needed to feed his addiction and satisfy the man who had threatened him."

Jailing him for five years for the burglaries, and three months consecutive for the escape Judge John McNaught said: "It is terribly distressing for householders to have their houses invaded and things they saved up for and cherish stolen.

"You have done it dozens of times. You have been the equivalent of a crime wave for Wiltshire."