AN EAGLE-EYED businessman spotted his house being burgled – while he was away on holiday.

Gary Vickers was abroad when he logged on to his laptop with images beamed through the internet from his detached Curzon Park home.

Mr Vickers watched in horror as he spotted a shady figure knock on his door and wait to see if there was a response.

He was even more taken aback when he tuned in to see the same man rifling through his belongings in his living room.

On Monday, Ashley Michael Webster, 20, was sentenced to 16 months in a young offenders institution for burgling Mr Vickers’s home twice in two days.

Webster stole a Nintendo Wii games console, a pair of sunglasses and £3 in cash from the property on Dingle Bank on May 26. He returned the next day in a failed bid to destroy CCTV footage of the theft.

Peter Hussey, prosecuting, told Chester Crown Court on Monday: “During the latter part of May, Mr Vickers received some information that there had been some local burglaries so as a precaution he checked his CCTV system.”

The footage showed that at 12.30pm on May 25, Webster had knocked on his door and loitered outside, making sure the house was unoccupied.

He returned the day after, knocking again before breaking in and searching for items to steal.

On May 27, Webster was again seen on the footage looking around for the CCTV recording.

Mr Vickers called his father, former Mill Hotel owner Gordon Vickers, who then alerted the police.

Mr Hussey added: “The defendant appeared to spot the fact that in the lounge there was a camera. He looked directly at it and appeared to cover it.”

Mr Vickers sent still images from the CCTV to police in Chester while still abroad.

On May 31 patrols were told to look out for Webster. He was seen that day on Hough Green by an officer and immediately confessed to his crime.

Adrian Evans, defending, said Webster had stolen to fund a gambling addiction.

“He accrued debts and was desperate to try and pay off those debts.

“He is determined to tackle his gambling addiction.”

Judge Roger Dutton said: “While he wasn’t there at the time and the house was empty, he had to deal with the knowledge and being able to see on his laptop a man walking through his house picking up items to steal – it must have been an extremely unnerving experience indeed.”

He sentenced Webster to 16 months in a young offenders institution for each burglary, to be served concurrently.