A persistent offender caught burgling a New Brighton pub has admitted to a judge "I'm getting too old for this now."

Agreeing with him, Judge David Aubrey, QC, said, "Yes you are and you are hopeless at it because you always get caught."

Michael Edwards appeared in the dock at Liverpool Crown Court today (Wed) admitting the raid and also going equipped to steal with a screwdriver.

The court heard that he looks after his 80-year-old mum, whom he "cares for very much" and Judge Aubrey pointed out, "If you are not careful you will be serving a sentence and she will be no longer with you.

"How will you feel?" he asked him. "Riddled with guilt," said 45-year-old Edwards, who agreed with the judge's suggestion that "demon drink" was to blame for his behaviour.

Sentencing him to ten months imprisonment Judge Aubrey said he had considered not jailing him but in all the circumstances he had to do so. He warned him if he returns to court he will receive a lengthy sentence.

He also told Edwards, who said being behind bars was harder with age,"It's time to call it a day."

Christopher Hopkins, prosecuting, said that Edwards, of Bidston Green Road, Bidston, was arrested in the early hours of May 15 after police arrived at the Derby Pool Harvester pub because the alarm was sounding.

They found a window had been broken and two fire alarm panels had been ripped off the wall but nothing had been taken. They saw Edwards walking out of a door and arrested him.

Two months earlier, on March 7 he was seen by police loitering near the Hornblower pub in Birkenhead and was found to be in possession of a screw driver.