A heating engineer that stole a gold ring and £1,000 from a woman while working at her Felixstowe home, has been sent to prison.

In total Gavin Seager from Lakeside Road, Ipswich took property and cash valued at £24,000, in order to feed his £1,500 a week cocaine habit.

The 43-year-old, who worked for Warner Homes, Glow Green, Floheat and Greenscape heating engineering firms, admitted nine offences of theft which were committed between March 2018 and May 2019.

The court heard how the the offences took place at people's homes in Felixstowe, Ipswich, Mildenhall, Old Newton, Swanton Morley in Norfolk and Kent.

Among the thefts Seager stole £1,000 cash and jewellery, including her gold wedding ring, from a woman who lived in Felixstowe.

Recorder Graham Huston, at Ipswich Crown Court, described the offences as "selfish and cruel".

He also said some of the victims were elderly and some of the lost jewellery was of sentimental value which could never be replaced, before sentencing him to 18 months in jail.

Steven Dyble mitigating for Seager told the court his client had a £1,500 a week cocaine habit but since being arrested had received help for his addiction and was now drug free and had shown remorse for his actions, which he agreed had a degree of meanness.