THERE is only a one in a billion chance that blood found at several burglary scenes does not belong to a Little Lever man, a court heard.

Heath Griffiths is alleged to have have burgled six homes, a pizza takeaway and a garage in Bolton, Little Lever and Radcliffe between October 27 last year and January 5.

At Bolton Crown Court Griffiths, aged 49, of Duxbury Avenue, Little Lever, is defending himself and denies the offences.

Victoria Smith-Swain, prosecuting, told the court the first burglary occurred between October 27 and 31 last year when a house in Bamburgh Close, Radcliffe, was burgled while the owner was on holiday.

However, the thief had broken a glass door to get into the property and left blood in several locations.

On November 23 blood was also left at Pizza Planet on Ainsworth Road, Radcliffe, by a burglar who ransacked the shop.

Further blood was left around a security light on a detached garage which was broken into on Ascot Road, Little Lever days later.

The burglaries continued into January when properties in Red Lane and Withins Lane, Breightmet, were burgled.

Items from both break-ins, including an iPhone, a Batman Blu-ray disc and perfume bottle were found in a bag which was dropped near St Augustine's Court, Tonge Moor, the following day.

The jury were told that Griffith's fingerprints were also on several of the stolen items.

On January 5 a house in Angle Street, Tonge Moor was targeted, there was an attempted break in at a nearby flat in St Augustine's Court and a burglary at a house in Pegamoid Street.

At the last property owner Lauren Hitchen returned home to find a man in her kitchen.

He told her he was not a burglar, but was hiding after being beaten up.

Ms Smith-Swain said: "She believed him but was scared and asked him to leave."

It was only after he left that she realised her driving licence was missing.

Griffiths was arrested in a garden on the same street with PC Carl Fairbrother telling the jury that, at the time, the defendant had a large screwdriver tucked into his trouser waistband and was also carrying a chisel. The case continues.