A BURGLAR who stole Christmas presents and children's savings while on early release from prison has had his jail term extended.

Alan Aldous unwrapped and pinched the gifts during a daytime raid on a large family home in December.

And after hearing the 29-year-old Royal Wootton Bassett man is a three-strike burglar a judge jailed him for almost two years and five months.

Aldous, who has more than 20 house break-ins as well as numerous commercial burglaries to his name, committed his latest offence on December 12.

Colin Meeke, prosecuting, said a mum left her home on Wichelstok Close in Swindon's Old Town at 8.20am that Wednesday morning.

When her children arrived home just after 3pm, after seeing things had been moved around, they saw a brick had been thrown through a window.

Mr Meeke said the son found that £60 had been taken from a drawer in his bed and in the mum's room someone had been through the Christmas presents.

He said gifts had been opened and wrapping paper left on the for floor as the raider chose what to take.

Blood was found on a filing cabinet in the house and it showed up a DNA match to the defendant.

When he was questioned he said he had been released from his last sentence in August 2018 and returned to using crack cocaine in October.

He said he had knocked on the door and when there was no reply went round the side, found a brick, smashed the window and went in.

Aldous, of Buxton Way, Royal Wootton Bassett, pleaded guilty to burglary. He was jailed for 876 days in February this year after admitting another burglary of a bungalow on December 3.

In December 2017 he got two-and-a-half years for six burglaries including one where he took a charity box from the home of a bed-ridden 91-year-old.

That sentence ran alongside the 44 months he got in January 2017 for burglaries, including one at the Whale and Dolphin Conservation charity in Chippenham.

As well as a criminal career with more than 20 house raids, he has also broken into commercial premises, committed robbery and drugs offences.

Nick Fridd, defending, said his client realised he was facing three years, less 20 per cent for pleading guilty, as a three strike burglar.

Jailing him for 876 days Recorder Patrick Clarkson said: "You are a three striker. I can give you as much as I can by way of discount as you sensibly pleaded guilty."