A BURGLAR who targeted several homes in Bury, Rochdale and Rossendale, was tracked down by police who used an app installed on a mobile phone he had stolen.

At Bolton Crown Court 31-year-old Kenny Ridgley was jailed for four and a half years after pleading guilty to five burglaries and two thefts and his partner, 27-year-old Hayley Mottershead received a community sentence after admitting handling a car key stolen in one of the burglaries.

Colin Buckle, prosecuting, told the court how Ridgley had stolen goods worth £5,000 after breaking into a house in Edenfield Road, Rochdale, on June 27 last year.

Among the items stolen was a £600 gemstone bought to celebrate the birth of the owner's child and Ridgley was identified from a fingerprint he left on a car parked outside the property.

Then, in a spate of crimes over a three day period at the beginning of July, Ridgley stole items from several other homes.

He burgled a property in Market Street, Bury, whilst the owner was asleep, dropping a bag with his own passport in it when disturbed and then targeted a house in Rhiwlas Drive, Bury, stealing a Kia Rio from outside.

In Bridge Street, Rossendale, on July 4, he walked into an unlocked house and stole items including a laptop.

But he came unstuck the same day after walking into an unlocked house in Water, Rossendale, whilst the owner was taking a shower.

Among the goods grabbed was an iPhone 6, which had a tracking app on it.

The phone led police to a house in Rochdale Road, Bury and officers caught Ridgley as he tried to jump over a fence at the back of the property.

Mottershead was standing nearby with a stolen car key in her pocket and the stolen Kia was parked outside the house.

It was bearing false stolen number plates and CCTV from the area showed Ridgley driving the vehicle with his partner in the passenger seat.

Andrew Costello, defending Ridgley, who has previously served prison sentences for burglary, said he had fallen back into bad habits after remaining offence free for two years.

The Honorary Recorder of Bolton, Judge Timothy Clayson told Ridgley and Mottershead, both of Fairfield Drive, Bury, that the crimes had badly affected some of the burglary victims.

"Very considerable distress was caused to some of them," he said.

Mottershead was sentenced to an 18 month community order and ordered to undertake rehabilitation activities for 35 days focused upon helping the mother-of-two with her substance abuse and parenting skills.