A SECURITY GUARD'S quick thinking has put a balaclava-wearing burglar behind bars for three years.

Trevor Graham Ramsey, 31, and an accomplice staged a trans-Pennine raid on DHL's Clifton Moor, York, depot that had "all the hallmarks of a professional enterprise", said prosecutor Alan Mitcheson at York Crown Court.

But the noise they made as they cut padlocks, smashed down a glass door to get into the store and grabbed 700 CDs containing computer games worth £5,519 alerted a security guard on the premises.

He managed to get part of the number of Ramsey's white van as he drove off. North Yorkshire Police tracked the burglar along the A64, and later trapped him with the help of West Yorkshire Police near Rothwell.

Ramsey, of Fairfield Street, Salford, pleaded guilty to burglary and was jailed for three years. The court heard he had previous convictions for burglary and robbery, but had gone straight since his last release from prison in 2000.

Mr Mitcheson said the burglars struck at 6.20pm on July 3. They used bolt croppers to break through padlocks and tried to put out of action the alarm that linked the store to the fire service.

But the security guard saw them at work, and their BMW and white van. As they drove off he noted part of the van's number and contacted police who alerted their patrol vans. Fifteen minutes later officers spotted the van on the A64 and the hunt was up.

For Ramsey, Glenn Parsons said he was distraught at finding himself back before a court. After his last release from prison, he had got a job, a house and a steady relationship. But that broke up when his partner lost their baby and later had an affair, and he had lost his home.

He did not know why he rashly and impulsively went back to his old ways and took part in the burglary.

Updated: 10:25 Monday, October 11, 2004