BETWEEN them they are responsible for two of the biggest series of burglaries in Southampton. When they were finally caught, police found that Gavin Wareham had plundered more than £80,000 worth of his victim's personal belongings. In a separate spate, Michael Horne was creeping into homes regardless of whether the owners were home to get his hands on pricey belongings that he could then sell to feed his drug habit. Today both are behind bars for their crimes that blighted a community.

BURGLAR 1 Michael Horne

HE was dubbed the Creeper 2 after breaking into dozens of homes, sometimes as the owners slept in their beds.

Prolific burglar Michael Horne targeted properties across Southampton, stealing thousands of pounds worth of precious items to feed his heroin addiction.

Today the 44-year-old, whose haul totalled £67,000 worth of goods, is preparing to be jailed after confessing to a spate of 48 burglaries that blighted a community.

Horne, of Avenue Road, Southampton, pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary and asked Judge Jeremy Burford QC to take 45 other similar offences into consideration.

Standing in the dock wearing combat trousers and a black polo neck jumper as the charges were read out to him, he admitted that on November 11 last year he burgled a house in Claremont Crescent, Southampton, where he stole a lap-top computer, satellite navigation equipment, a camera, photographic equipment and jewellery.

He also pleaded guilty to burgling a house in Midanbury Lane, Bitterne, on December 8 last year where he stole jewellery, cash, satellite navigation equipment and a digital camera.

Horne admitted a third burglary on December 13 last year at Denbigh Gardens where he stole digital photographs and recording equipment.

David Jenkins, prosecuting, asked Judge Burford to also take into account 44 dwelling house burglaries and one attempted dwelling house burglary.

John Lofthouse, mitigating, asked for sentencing to be adjourned for pre sentence reports with a particular focus on drug rehabilitation.

The court was told that Horne had 12 previous convictions for burglary and two for attempted burglary, although these fall out of the timescale for the judge to be able to consider when sentencing next month.

Speaking after the case Detective Sergeant Paul Gelman, said: "The capture and prosecution of Michael Horne will hopefully reassure the residents of Southampton, particularly those living in the Upper Shirley area, that victims of burglary and other crimes will receive the best service we can provide to reduce the risk and fear of crime in bringing offenders to justice.''

BURGLAR 2 Gavin Wareham

ONE man crime wave Gavin Wareham, pictured left, is starting a four-year jail term after plundering more than £80,000 worth of high value goods.

The 34-year-old carried out about two dozen burglaries in Hampshire while on the run.

Wareham had been bailed for sentence in November last year for a burglary in Romsey but skipped bail. He was at large almost four months before he was finally detained.

Prosecutor Siobhan Lindsley told Southampton Crown Court how Wareham - who committed his first break-in at just 14 - had initially been arrested after cutting himself in a burglary at a house in Romsey last August. On that raid he grabbed electrical equipment, jewellery, watches and the children's money box together worth more than £22,000.

Wareham told detectives he had been hired as a look-out by two other men who forced their way into the secluded property, but cut himself on broken glass when he heard a loud noise inside the house and went to investigate. He was trapped after leaving his DNA on the bloodstained duvet.

The serial offender pleaded guilty to the offence at the magistrates court but failed to turn up at Crown Court for sentence.

While on the run, he carried out 25 other burglaries as well as stealing a car.

Ms Linsley said the total value of property stolen amounted to £82,812. It chiefly consisted of jewellery and electrical items and more than £47,000 of the goods had not been recovered.

Wareham, of Chestnut Avenue, Eastleigh, pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary, one driving while banned and without insurance, and asked for 29 other offences to be considered.

Jailing him for four years, Recorder Michael Fitton QC described him as a professional burglar who had shown total disregard for the stress and disturbance he had caused to his victims.

In mitigation, Andy Houston said that after serving his last prison sentence, he settled down. But after committing the Romsey burglary, he panicked when he was due to appear before the crown court and became re-addicted to crack cocaine.