A MAN who attempted to break into a home in Cheshire while the homeowners were asleep inside has been jailed for two years.

At about 12.30am on Monday, September 21, last year, two men attempted to break into the address, but the owners were woken by their dog barking.

At the time they didn’t think anything of it and went back to sleep.

However, the following morning they decided to look at their CCTV footage at the property on Halebank Road, Widnes, and found images of two men attempting to access their home through a window before fleeing the scene empty handed.

The incident was reported to officers at Widnes Beat Initiative Team who launched an investigation and shared the images with neighbouring forces in a bid to identify the pair.

As a result an officer from Merseyside police positively identified one of the suspects as 29-year-old Michael Miller.

Following the identification officers made a number of attempts to arrest Miller but he became evasive in an attempt to avoid justice.

Following repeated arrest attempts officers decided to appeal to the public in a bid to trace him. He was subsequently located by officers in Merseyside in a Taxi on Queens Drive, Liverpool, on Monday, December 21.

Miller was arrested at the scene and later charged with attempted burglary.

He appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday, February 12, where he pleaded guilty to the charge.

Miller, of Eversley, Widnes, was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay £156 victims surcharge.

Following the sentencing Police Constable Chris Bosward, who led the investigation, said: “This is a fantastic result and I hope it provides reassurance to the local community and some closure to the victims.

“While the offenders were unsuccessful in their attempts to break into the address, to go through such an experience is extremely traumatic and it can have lasting repercussions."