A teenage burglar, who fled from a stolen car after a police chase, was found hiding nearby - in a wheelie bin.

A police dog had led his handler to the bin and 18-year-old Peter McNoon begged “Don’t let the dog bite me.”

He went on to tell officers: “I’m sorry, they made me do it, I owed them money.”

His three accomplices had fled the scene in Bebington, leaving him to face the music alone - and he has now been jailed for two years after admitting two burglaries.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that a house in Dibbens Hey, Bromborough, was burgled overnight on October 24 this year while the occupants slept and keys to the owner’s VW Golf were stolen - as well as, bizarrely, some ice cream.

The gang then broke into a house in Stevenson Drive, Spital, again while the residents were sleeping, and as well as car keys they took two X-boxes, two laptops, a mobile phone and a Play Station, said Iain Criddle, prosecuting.

Police later spotted the burglary team in the VW and followed it until it came to a halt in Eversleigh Drive, Bebington and the offenders fled with only McNoon being tracked down.

McNoon, of Norman Street, Birkenhead, pleaded guilty to the burglaries on the basis he was the look-out on both occasions.

Anna Duke, defending, said that while McNoon has previous convictions he has none for burglary and is very remorseful.

She pointed out that he had had a troubled background and his accomplices had been older and more criminally sophisticated than McNoon.