A 46-year-old burglar left behind vital traces of DNA after breaking into a house he thought was empty only to find that the residents were inside.

Romeo Arthurs used shears from an unlocked garden shed to prise open a uPVC window in the rear door of a semi-detached property in Wrythe Lane, Carshalton, at around 7.15pm.

Putting his hand through the smashed window and opening the door using the key in the lock on the inside, Arthurs made his way through the kitchen and living room to the upstairs of the property.

Hearing someone breaking in, the man and woman inside the property quickly locked themselves into the front bedroom. Still believing the property to be empty, Arthurs kicked open the bedroom door only to find the residents staring back at him.

Arthurs escaped the same way he had entered. He was later arrested after officers had gathered forensic evidence at the scene.

At Croydon Crown Court on September 20, Arthurs, of Lenham Road, Sutton, was sentenced to six years in prison after being found guilty of burglary with intent to steal on March 16.