A THIEF who stole team clothing belonging to an Olympic ace was caught wearing some of it when he was arrested, a judge was told.

The burglar took a bag containing clothing used by double Commonwealth gold medal winner Chris Hunt -- who attended the Olympics in Sydney -- from the sportsman's father's Harwood home.

When arrested, David Gidman was found to be wearing some of the clothes but said he had got them from a friend.

Hunt, aged 31, endured Olympic disappointment in the games last month when he was injured in the early stages.

Yesterday Gidman, aged 19, of Chorley Old Road, Bolton, was jailed at Bolton Crown Court for two years.

The court was told a man whose house was robbed in the second burglary had been broken into four times since March.

A neighbour of Mr Hunt senior saw two men acting suspiciously in the road and called the police.

Later, the men were stopped and one was found to be carrying a bag containing sports clothing.

Police visited Gidman's home and found him there wearing some of the stolen clothes.

The court was told Gidman's criminal record began earlier this year when he was thrown out of his home because of a drug habit.

He turned to crime to feed his heroin habit, but had since come off drugs. He had lost a job with a firm of decorators though the company has said it would take him back when he comes out of prison.

Recorder Andrew Lowcock said the offences Gidman had committed were so serious that only a custodial sentence was justified.