A MAN who ransacked his elderly neighbour's home has been jailed for four years.

Florence Chadwick, aged 88, woke early one morning and found cupboards and drawers had been ransacked, with her personal belongings strewn everywhere.

Almost £3,000 worth of property had been taken, including cash, furniture, jewellery and electrical equipment.

Police at first thought the door had been left open but a relative spotted handprints leading to the loft.

Next-door neighbour Michael Graham denied breaking in but police found most of Mrs Chadwick's property inside his house.

Graham, aged 39, of Heath Avenue, Summerseat, Bury, appeared at Bolton Crown Court for sentence for burglary.

He admitted breaking into Mrs Chadwick's house in Ramsbottom on January 20 this year. He was jailed for four years.

Recorder Clement Goldstone QC said: "This burglary must have had a traumatic effect on Mrs Chadwick.

"By passing a substantial period of imprisonment on you, the courts protect people like Mrs Chadwick from burglars like you and it must also deter others."

Prosecutor Darren Preston said that Mrs Chadwick awoke at around 5am and saw that a rear bedroom light was on. She went downstairs to find a lot of property missing and the contents of the drawers and personal belongings strewn all over the floor.

The police and her son-in-law arrived and at first police thought the door had been left open, because they could find no obvious signs of a forced entry.

But a relative spotted handprints on the banisters and the walls leading to the loft. Bricks had been removed from the dividing wall.

At first Graham denied burgling the house and said someone must have broken into his house and dumped the stolen goods.

The court was told that, until 2000, Graham had run a furniture removals company but it had gone out of business.

He had started drinking and taking drugs.