A GOSPORT man could face prison after police stopped him late at night with a stolen battery charger and a burglary kit in his car.

Paul Hand, 28, of Otter Close, Rowner was convicted of being equipped for breaking into buildings when he appeared before magistrates on Tuesday.

He had denied the charge, but admitted handling stolen goods.

Pc Peter Jones told Fareham magis-trates how he and colleague Pc Stephen Bennett watched Hand drive down two cul-de-sacs in the town's Salterns Estate in the early hours of February 26.

He said: "There had been a spate of shed and garage burglaries. We went there to see if there was anyone around at that time in the morning, which was when the burglaries had been taking place.''

Pc Bennett said they recovered a stash of tools, including three crow-bars, spanners, screwdrivers, a ratchet and two knives from Hood's red C-reg Vauxhall Cavalier.

A £250 battery charger, discovered in the boot, had been stolen from a house in Earl's Road two nights earlier.

Hand, who has a string of previous convictions including one for burglary and theft, said the tools were there so he could fix a broken clutch cable, but added: "I didn't actually fix anything. I had a quick look, couldn't see what I needed to see, so drove off.''

Fareham magistrates told Hand he could face jail when he was sentenced on July 23.

He was granted conditional bail.

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