A SERIAL burglar who sneaked into two student flats and stole four laptops and a mobile phone has been jailed.

Andrew Ryan, of no fixed address, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison on Friday at Oxford Crown Court.

He admitted breaking into two flats used by students attending the EF International Language School in Oxford on April 15 this year.

Cathy Olliver, prosecuting, said the 32-year-old slipped into a building in Pullens Lane, Headington, by following a student in.

At about 5pm, a resident realised a door was unlocked and property was missing and alerted the warden.

CCTV footage showed Ryan, who police immediately recognised, going into the building.

Miss Olliver said Ryan had a history of burglaries, and had been jailed for three years in 2006.

Ryan initially claimed he had only gone into the building to use the toilet, but during Friday’s hearing admitted what he had done.

Miss Olliver said none of the laptops had so far been recovered.

Graham Bennett, defending, said Ryan had been out of prison a short time when he came to visit a friend in Oxford and “fell back into his old habits.”