A MAN who burgled houses to steal the car keys of high performance vehicles has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.

Simon Dutton was jailed after Bolton Crown Court was told that he drove one of the stolen cars at a police officer in a bid to escape.

The court heard that the burglaries and an aggravated vehicle taking were the 100th offence committed by him. Dutton, aged 26, of Manorfield Close, Heaton, appeared at the Crown Court for sentence.

He had earlier admitted two burglaries, assault with intent to resist arrest and an aggravated vehicle taking at houses in Bromley Cross.

Richard Heap, prosecuting, said one set of car keys was stolen from a Bromley Cross house in July.

Dutton got into the house one night as the owners slept upstairs.

He smashed a window in the kitchen door and escaped with the keys, which he used to steal a BMW worth about £16,000. But he left blood at the scene and was traced through his DNA.

On September 10, Dutton went to another house in Bromley Cross and got in through a back door which had been left open. Later the car he stole was spotted by police as he drove through Belmont. When challenged Dutton drove straight at the police officer.

The officer received a glancing blow from the car but was not seriously hurt. When he was arrested he was found to be in possession of a wallet stolen from one of the houses.

Judge Arthur Rumbelow, QC, said Dutton had deliberately driven the car at the officer who was fortunate to have not been seriously injured.