A former heroin addict who stole from 35 houses in six weeks to fund his habit has been warned by a judge he will kill himself unless he stays off drugs.

Anthony Martin, 22, was jailed for 20 months at Oxford Crown Court on Monday after admitting four burglaries and asking for another 35 offences, including 31 burglaries, to be taken into consideration.

The court was told Martin, of Church Lane, Drayton, near Abingdon, was introduced to heroin while in his early teens but had now managed to keep himself free of the drug for some months.

William Noble, prosecuting, said police investigating a string of break-ins during August in Abingdon put Martin under surveillance when his fingerprints were found after one burglary.

Officers arrested Martin when he was seen attempting to force the door of a house in Radley Road on August 23.

When interviewed, he admitted four burglaries and the further 35 offences, from late July until August.

He was also charged with having a 3.5in blade in a public place after he was stopped by officers in The Slade in Oxford on August 5.

Mr Noble said: "Thirty-one of the 35 offences taken into consideration were burglaries. From these, we estimate goods worth £26,000 were taken."

Eleanor Duhs, defending, said: "He is a heroin addict who stole to fund his habit.

"The background to these offences is he had drug debts which were accumulating and which he was desperate to pay off. He has come clean and helped the police as much as he can."

Jailing Martin, Judge Christopher Compston said: "Prison is inevitable. If you don't take advantage of my comparative humanity you will be dead very soon."

Martin was also given two one-month sentences, to run concurrently, for having a blade in a public place and for breaching a previous conditional discharge.