A NEWPORT man was jailed for 28 months after attempting to steal copper piping from a police ‘capture house’ set up to catch would-be burglars.

Andrew Bullock, 38, of Byron Road, The Gaer, Newport, was arrested on November 2, 2012, following the attempted burglary of a capture house which had been set up in the Stow Hill area of Newport.

The capture house was a vacant house which had previously had copper piping stolen from it.

At 9.50pm on November 2, secret equipment fromwithin the house alerted officers to an intruder.

Within minutes officers had the house surrounded, and Bullock was found hiding inside. He was arrested for the theft of copper piping.

Unbeknown to Bullock, the house had been covered with a forensic marking liquid which was now on his clothes and the stolen piping, immediately linking him to the house.

As a result he was charged and remanded for burglary.

DC Wayne Alexander, who led the investigation, said: “Gwent police are regularly scanning anyone who is arrested for the presence of forensic marking liquid which could link them to a crime scene.

“The use of capture houses is also expanding through Gwent. The message to would-be burglars is simple – if you continue to commit these crimes, you will be caught.”

Bullock was convicted of dwelling burglary, sentenced to 876 days in prison and fined £120.