A police officer wrote to a judge on behalf of a serial burglar who branded himself a "scumbag" and came clean about undetected offences.

The detective inspector said he believed drug addict Tommy Seidler was genuinely trying to turn his back on a life of crime.

Judge Philip Statman told the 30-year-old he had a lot to thank the officer for in writing to the court and expressing his opinion.

The judge said he was keeping the sentence to two years nine months to give him hope for the future.

Seidler, of Ewell Avenue, Swanley, admitted two burglaries and asked for nine other burglaries and four thefts to be taken into consideration.

He had owned up to them as part of a police operation called Clean Slate.

Maidstone Crown Court heard Seidler burgled two houses in July that were empty and due for demolition.

Dickon Reid, prosecuting, said two copper tanks worth about £1,500 were stolen and £10,000 worth of water damage was caused.

A palm print found inside one of the houses was matched to Seidler.

A week later, he broke into another home in West Malling, while the owners were asleep and stole a mobile phone and handbag.

The father-of-two was recalled to serve the remainder of a previous sentence, from which his earliest release date is January 2013.

He had previous convictions including burglaries dating back to 1999.

Judge Statman told Seidler: "Your offending is drug-related. Only you can decide whether you want to take the course of going back to drugs or coming back before the courts and getting longer sentences, or looking at life in a far more attractive way."