A burglar who ransacked a family home to steal £15,000 worth of gold jewellery was caught after police found his DNA on a fizzy drink can left at the scene.

Nadim Younus was jailed for three years at Kingston Crown Court on Wednesday (March 18), after being found guilty of burglary.

The court heard how on he broke into a family home in Heston Road, Hounslow, through the back door on September 3 last year.

He searched every room, emptying out all of the cupboards, as well as turning sofas upside down and cutting them up, in a bid to find valuable Asian gold.

The family returned to find their house completely ransacked, but were surprised to see none of their electrical items, such as televisions and tablets, were missing.

Having identified the stolen items, they realised Younus had taken £15,000 worth of Asian gold jewellery, along with passports.

Police and forensic officers found a fizzy drink can in the kitchen sink, which the victim said he had not drunk from and had come from the fridge.

The can was forensically examined and traces of Younus’s DNA were found on the rim.

Younus, 33, of Gloucester Avenue, Slough, was later arrested and charged with burglary.

Detective Constable Darren Young, of Hounslow Police, said: “This investigation demonstrates that we will do everything in our capability to identify a suspect with every resource available to us.

"Our forensic colleagues will work with us to find anything, be it a drop of blood or saliva that may help us find a suspect, and in this case leaving behind a drink can has resulted in us putting the suspect before the courts.”