A prolific burglar who stole more than £2,000 and bank cards from a house in Peterborough where a couple was sleeping has been jailed.

Lucy Hutchinson, 40, was walking along Lincoln Road, in the city centre, at about 5.30am on February 11 when a flat caught her eye.

Chancing her luck, Hutchinson tried the door handle and it had been left unlocked.

She went upstairs and into one of the bedrooms where she was confronted by the tenants, a couple, who had woken up.

They chased her out of the room but on her way out of the flat Hutchinson snatched a handbag containing more than £2,000 in cash and bank cards.

She ran to a nearby convenience store, closely followed by the male victim, until she was stopped by the store owner.

She was held by her coat and questioned about why she was in the flat but was eventually let free and ran off back along Lincoln Road.

Hutchinson was captured on several CCTV cameras in the area and in the shop and was identified by police. She was wanted for several weeks until her arrest in Peterborough on March 2.

Hutchinson was already known to officers and is currently subject to an 18-month community order involving a year-long mental health treatment requirement, handed to her in March 2022.

Hutchinson, of no fixed address, appeared at Peterborough Crown Court on April 6 where she was sentenced to three years in prison after previously pleading guilty to burglary, breach of a community order, and failing to surrender to court.

Detective Constable Craig Trevor, who investigated, said: “Hutchinson is a prolific criminal with several offences against her name.

“Despite various means of support, she continues to break the law and I hope she spends her time in prison reflecting on her actions.”

Advice on how to best protect your home from burglars can be found on the force website.