A NURSE whose home was ransacked during a burglary has thanked a "Good Samaritan" who told police where the criminals were.

Anne Spiller, aged 56, returned from work in the evening of October 27 to find her Deane home had been burgled, with the patio doors smashed and countless items taken.

On Tuesday, 24-year-old Luke Walker, who has a string of burglary convictions to his name, appeared at Bolton Crown Court and was given a jail term of three years and four months for his role in the burglary.

Two teenagers, aged 13 and 14, also pleaded guilty to taking part in the burglary and will be sentenced at a later date at Bolton Magistrates Court.

The offenders were found with the majority of Ms Spiller’s property at a house in Fern Hill Avenue, Deane after a resident saw them suspiciously pushing a wheelie bin in the road — which they were using to transport the stolen goods.

Items stolen included laptops, a TV, digital cameras, mobile phones, watches, sunglasses, perfume, jewellery, underwear and even bottles of spirits.

Speaking after the sentencing, the 56-year-old victim said: “I just wanted to say a big thank you to the person who spotted them in the act and rang the police straight away.

“If it wasn’t for that person then this would have been very different and they might not have been caught, so I want to say thank you for that.”

A large amount of the haul was returned to Ms Spiller, although an Ipod, a Kindle device and some jewellery with sentimental value has not been returned to her.

She said she was pleased to see Walker given a lengthy jail term for the burglary which left her feeling “not right for weeks”.

She added: “I always felt secure in my home before but after someone has completely smashed your patio doors in and burgled you, it is hard to feel safe.

“It did affect me more than I thought it would and I don’t think I was right in my mind for about eight weeks.

“But the fact that he has gone through the courts and sent to jail does give me faith in the justice system and now I just want to move on.”

Det Con Stuart Round said: "Thanks to the community-minded actions of this Good Samaritan, the woman was reunited with her property just hours after her home had been burgled by Walker and his associates.

"Walker has long been a target for police and I hope it will reassure many people living and working in this community knowing he has finally been brought to book for his crimes.

"These offenders pretty much cleaned out this woman's home. They stole thousands of pounds worth of goods and no doubt thought they could escape with the loot by concealing it in a wheelie bin.

"However, thanks to the anonymous tip we received from a member of the public our officers responded immediately and caught this gang red-handed.

"Tackling burglary is a priority for police in Bolton as we know all too well how distressing it can be for victims to have their homes invaded by thieves.

"I hope this case sends a message not only to victims but also to criminals that catching burglars is one of our top priorities and if we get any information about this type of criminality we will take immediate action."