SERIAL offender Robert Campbell hurled tiles at police after climbing onto his roof to evade arrest.

At one stage officers became so concerned for the safety of neighbours they advised them to remain indoors.

The drama began when officers went to his home to question him about a burglary. Campbell however slipped into his loft where he made a hole in the roof.

He then flung numerous tiles at the officers in his garden, ignored repeated requests to come down and demanded to see his partner.

However, after speaking to her in the loft, he returned to the roof where he re-launched his tile attack. Eventually Sergeant Tom North persuaded Campbell to come down and he was arrested.

Prosecutor Kate Freemantle said Campbell then refused to co-operate and had to be forcibly removed to the police van where he looked the sergeant directly in the eye and spat in his face. He told him Lucky it missed' and laughed.

Spitting mad Ms Freemantle said the sergeant was "livid" but kept his composure. Campbell was a carrier of hepititis C but the officer fortunately suffered no ill effects.

Campbell, 35, of Bay Road, Bitterne, pleaded guilty to affray and common assault. He also admitted two burglaries - at barristers' chambers where he stole a £1,400 projector and at a Woolston sandwich shop where he grabbed £20. On both occasions, however, he cut himself and the blood was found to match his profile.

Campbell - who had 20 previous convictions for burglary - also admitted receiving credits cards, a lap top computer, a mobile phone and other property stolen from a flat. He was jailed for 40 months.

Drug addiction David Jenkins, defending, told the city crown court how Cambell had twice become heavily involved in heroin following personal tragedies. When he was released from jail in April, he was clean and approached a local drug rehabilitation project.

"But they couldn't get funding and give him help and sadly he returned to taking heroin," he said urging the court not to send him back to jail. "He could do a prison sentence on his head. He begs this court to give him a chance."

However, Recorder Paul Lasok QC said if the court gave him a non-custodial sentence, it would be taking a large gamble. "Is it worth it? Courts cannot predict the future."

However he concluded the risks did not justify it. The chances of his reform and rehabilitation were relatively small.