A BURGLAR was caught after leaving a tiny drop of blood at a crime scene.

Joe Corner, 24, smashed his way into an address on Felixstowe Road in Sunderland on the morning of August 6 this year.

After a quick search, he set his sights on a Honda 250cc motorbike valued at more than £3,000, along with a laptop, helmet and watch.

But Corner inadvertently cut himself, leaving a small trace of blood near a window.

It was so small that it would have been easy to miss it with the naked eye, but it was enough for specialist Crime Scene Investigators to swab and send off for a forensic examination.

The trace came back as a forensic match for Corner, and the dedicated burglary team did the rest as they subsequently charged the offender with the offence.

Corner, of Westmorland Road, Newcastle, recently admitted one count of burglary and was jailed for ten months.

Detective Sergeant Michael Parnaby, of Northumbria Police, said: “The tiniest trace of blood, saliva, bodily fluid, hair or fingerprint can now be detected and used as evidence to prove an offender’s guilt.

“Joe Corner is the latest in a line of burglars who have been successfully convicted and taken off the streets.

“We make no apology whatsoever for our tough stance against burglars.”