A gum-chewing burglar has come unstuck 12 years after he stole jewellery and electrical goods from a house in Dunstable.

Robert Aldrich, of Langley Road, Watford, was finally caught after police identified DNA on a piece of chewing gum he had discarded at the scene.

Aldrich, 46, had been chewing the gum during the burglary in August 1997, but spat it into his victim’s kitchen sink as he left.

His DNA profile was kept on file by Bedfordshire Police and, thanks to advances in technology, successfully matched last year.

Aldrich was finally brought to justice at Luton Crown Court on Friday, where he was handed an 18-month suspended prison sentence.

DC Lynn Adams, who led the investigation, said the case should serve as a warning to those who think they have got away with crimes.

She said: “Bedfordshire Police are using every tool at their disposal to fight burglary and this is another good example of how advances in forensic science can help us.”