York's notorious Blip Boy was today starting three and a half years behind bars after a judge declared the city needed a holiday from his criminal activities.

It will be the longest sentence yet for 18-year- old burglar John Michael Harris.

He had only just finished an earlier sentence when he and his accomplice Jason Allen raided the home of a woman in her eighties and another in her sixties, York Crown Court heard.

But within hours of his release, police were on his track after learning he was reoffending.

At York Crown Court, Judge Jonathan Crabtree told the criminal duo: "If I was sure you had been burgling old people's homes deliberately, so that if you did get caught you could get away, your feet would not touch the ground.

"You would be inside for seven years."

He added: "Any court looking at you and your record would really be tempted just to get rid of you for as long as possible, as long as the Court of Appeal in London would stand, just to give this city a holiday. Anything to be shot of you both."

But because of their age, he could not do that.

To Harris he said: "Ever since you were 12, you seem to have done nothing but burgle other people's houses."

He was sure that the joint raids in September had been Harris's idea as that was his "speciality".

York's top detective, DCI John Lacy, said today he was pleased by the "wholly appropriate sentence" on Harris.

More money had probably been spent on trying to keep Harris out of prison than it would have cost to put him through Eton College.

"He's only himself to blame. He's been given every opportunity by all the agencies involved but he's not taken them," Mr Lacy said.

He added that within hours of Harris' last release from custody, detectives had "quality intelligence" suggesting he may have returned to offending.

"As a result a concerted effort was made to bring him before the courts."

Harris, of Sanderson House, Chapelfields, pleaded guilty to the two joint break-ins last September, plus a solo third burglary.

Allen, aged 20, of Middleton Road, Acomb got three years after admitting two burglaries.

For Harris, Paul Williams said he had needed money when his benefit was cut shortly before the burglaries.

He had had a difficult start to life.

"He started right from the bottom of the ladder," Mr Williams added.

George Sigisworth, for Allen, said he was a heroin user, who was now trying to kick the habit and intended to leave York after his release.

Both lawyers said the crimes were opportunist.

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