TWO Romanian burglars targeted a Cheshire man who had made repeated charity trips to their homeland, stealing his mementoes of the country, a court heard.

Cousins Mari Almasean and Remus Mihai, who are seeking political asylum, travelled through England and Wales raiding secluded cottages as they went.

At one stage, the pair used a BMW to drive around, looking for suitable homes to burgle.

Yesterday, at Mold Crown Court, the defendants changed their pleas and admitted 11 burglaries between them and a further seven separately.

Judge John Richards, QC, said the pair had been "stealing from vulnerable people in isolated areas where trust is the best means of security."

Mihai, 24, along with his wife and their two children had, together with Almasean, been given temporary accommodation in Manchester after arriving in this country.

They had been due to leave that property last April, but could not be located when the time came for them to move.

During May and June, the defendants scoured Cheshire, Shropshire and Mid-Wales, breaking into numerous homes.

Prosecutor, Andrew Clarke, said one of their victims had spent four years in Romania working for the "Operation Christmas Child" charity. William McKenzie, of Waverton, near Chester, returned to his home to find £3,800-worth of property had been taken, along with souvenirs of Romania.

When arrested, Mihai was found to be wearing the charity worker's pendant. Following their arrest, a DNA sample from gloves found in the pair's car was found to match traces taken at six of the burglary scenes.

Almasean, 17, whose footwear was also linked to six of the crime scenes, used eight different aliases and five different birthdates.

He was given an 18-month detention and training order.

Almasean was already on a supervison order imposed at Reading Crown Court last year after admitting a burglary.

A four-month sentence was imposed to run concurrently after he admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Jailing Mihai for 18 months, the judge told the defendants: "You pose a considerable threat to home owners in rural areas.

"Almasean, you change your name and date of birth as you think fit in order to avoid detection.

"I will recommend that you be deported when you have completed your sentences."

However, although their applications to stay in this country have been refused, they have yet to exhaust the appeals process.