A burglar who broke into a house in Houghton has been jailed for four years.
33-year-old Paul Jeffrey Robinson, of Shields Place, broke into a house on Sunderland Street, at the end of August this year.
"I welcome this sentence which sends a clear message that we will target those people who think it is acceptable to break into people's homes and steal their property.
Burglars cause people a lot of heartache and have a complete disregard for their victims and their property.
We will continue to arrest those suspected of being involved in burglary in the area and seek to put them before the courts."
A school in Houghton is hosting a Parliamentary-style debate on dementia which will be chaired by Houghton and Sunderland South MP Bridget Phillipson.
Bernard Gilpin Primary School is just one of 21 schools nationwide that has been selected to promote awareness of the disease as part of the Prime Minster's Challenge on Dementia campaign.
A fourth person has died after a road accident last month that already killed three.
The accident happened on April 25 near to Houghton-le-Spring, County Durham when a Renault Scenic was hit by a lorry driving in the opposite direction.
Margaret Reed,74, was taken to James Cook hospital with serious injuries but today died.
Three people - Robert Reed, aged 75, Natalie Simpson, 18 and her 14-month-old daughter, Destiny - all died in the crash.
