A burglar who left a half-eaten peach at a crime scene in Northumberland has been jailed after police forensics officers got a DNA match from it.
Arran Burton broke into the Ashington home on 9 October last year.
While there, he grabbed a peach from the homeowner's fruit bowl and helped himself to chocolates and sweets before leaving.
The 27-year-old left behind the partially-eaten peach.
It was while scanning the home for evidence that police officers found the half-eaten fruit and alerted the forensics team who were able to obtain a DNA match.
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Burton pled guilty at Newcastle Crown Court on Tuesday.
He faces 876 days in prison and was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £181.
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Detective Sergeant Dave Boon from Northumbria Police praised the forensic specialists for their work which led to Burton's arrest.
He said: "The DNA work by the forensics team on this case has been fantastic.
"Their meticulous efforts have helped convict a burglar and made the local community safer.
"Their fruitful endeavours mean Arran Burton will now have plenty of time on his hands to think about his actions."
Further heavy rain is expected across large parts of the UK overnight after weather warnings resulted in flash flooding for many.
The Met Office has issued a yellow rain warning that lasts until midday on Sunday, which stretches from the South West, through the North and into eastern Scotland.
A separate, more severe amber warning has also been extended to midday on Sunday for the South West, Midlands and Wales, which says there is a "good chance of some communities being cut off by flooded roads".
Both warn homes and businesses could be flooded, with "fast-flowing" and "deep" flood water causing damage to properties and possibly putting lives at risk.
Between 15 and 25mm of rain is expected across Northern Ireland into Sunday, with 30 to 50mm possible on higher ground.
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Image:There are amber and yellow warnings for much of the country on Saturday and Sunday. Met Office pic
Large parts of the UK already suffered heavy rain on Saturday, causing traffic disruption and flood damage for some.
There are currently four flood warnings in England - two in north Devon and two along the River Stour in Worcestershire - and more than 50 flood alerts in place. There are also a dozen alerts and six warnings in Scotland.
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Meteorologists say there was 45-60mm of rain across southern England throughout Friday and Saturday.
Many places will see from 25 to 50mm of rainfall by the end of the weekend, and there is potential for more than 120mm on some of the most exposed high ground at Snowdonia and Exmoor, they added.
Wet conditions in the South West, Wales and North West of England are set to continue pushing east and northwards on Sunday.
Carol Holt, from the Environment Agency, said: "We urge people to stay away from swollen rivers and not to drive though flood water - it is often deeper than it looks and just 30cm (300mm) of flowing water is enough to float your car."
It comes after heavy rain and winds of up to 61mph battered parts of the UK on Friday, as Storm Alex - named by the French meteorological office - arrived from Europe.
Power cuts were recorded in some areas, including in Portsmouth, Southampton, towns east of Reading, Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset.
Sky News weather presenter Kirsty McCabe said: "It will be a wet night for many, with heavy rain leading to flooding in eastern Scotland, Wales and western England. It will turn wet and very windy across Northern Ireland.
"Sunday remains cold and unsettled with rain for northern Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Wales and southern England, along with brisk winds. There will be some sunny spells for southern Scotland and northern England."
She added: "Rain will clear from Northern Ireland and Wales later in the day. However, showers will develop across eastern Britain, and the far south of England will be very wet and windy."
RAC Breakdown spokesman Rod Dennis said that road conditions will be "miserable if not downright dangerous" for drivers again on Sunday.
He said they will need to be prepared for "an ugly mix" of surface spray, gusty winds and more than likely some disruption on the roads.
Breakdown cover provider Green Flag said it expected an average of nine breakdowns per minute on UK roads between Friday and Monday.
A woman had to be rescued from her car as Storm Alex brought more rain to the UK (Pictures: PA/NC)
A second day of heavy rain across the UK has caused widespread disruption, with forecasters warning there’s still more to come.
Storm Alex brought persistent downpours and strong winds to large parts of the country again on Saturday, leading to flooding in some areas.
A family of four had to be rescued by firefighters from a road in Billericay, Essex, on Saturday morning after their car became trapped in floodwater.
And pictures have emerged of the dramatic moment a husband had to carry his wife to safety after her car became submerged in floodwaters at Ingatestone in Essex, early this morning.
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More than 20 flood alerts are in place across the UK. There are amber weather warnings for rain in Wales, the West Midlands, south-west England and also parts of eastern Scotland until 6am Sunday.
By Saturday evening, the worst hit places included parts of Exmoor, with 84mm of rain recorded in 36 hours in Liscombe and 74.4mm recorded in Brendon Hill.
Despite the treacherous conditions in the south west, coastguards said they had to persuade a swimmer against plunging into 15ft waves this morning in Torcross, Devon.
Meteorologist John Griffiths said there has been 45-60mm of rain widely across southern England, adding: ‘There’s still a lot of wet weather to get through today and into tonight, so we haven’t really seen the worst of it yet.’
It comes after Storm Alex moved in from France and clipped the southern edge of Britain on Friday. It brought heavy rain and strong winds, with 71mph recorded at Berry Head on the Devon coast.
A woman got stuck in floodwaters in Essex, she managed to get out of the car and was standing on a submerged railing
A man, thought to be the woman’s husband, had to carry her to safety
Many places will see 25-50mm of rainfall this weekend, and there is the potential for more than 120mm on some of the most exposed high ground of Snowdonia and Exmoor.
Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Central Tayside and Fife plus the Grampian regions of Scotland are set to be hit by 40-70mm of rain with over 120mm possible over high ground on Saturday, Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said.
ScotRail announced train services in amber warning areas will begin winding down from 4pm, with no trains running at all after 7pm.
Police forces across the country have issued warnings to drivers after a number of crashes on waterlogged roads.
Women protect themselves from the rain in Nottingham city centre (Picture: PA)
Amber warnings for rain have been issued across large parts of the country (Picture: PA)
A few tourists brave the rain outside Buckingham Palace in London (Picture: Getty Images)
People shelter from the rain during a downpour in Greenwich Park, south-east London (Picture: Getty Images)
The Start Point Lighthouse, near Hallsands, Devon (Picture: SWNS)
Cars make their way along the M4 motorway near to junction 18 (Picture: PA)
North West Motorway Police shared this picture of a damaged car to warn others to drive safely (Picture: PA)
Sharing pictures of a wrecked car, North West Motorway Police tweeted: ‘If you are using the network this afternoon – please slow down. Thankfully this was a damage only RTC.
‘Lots of stand water across the network today. Please allow extra time for your journey.’
Yellow rain warnings are also in place for the east of England, London and the South East plus much of Wales, western England and eastern Scotland where heavy rain is set to push in from the North West.
The rain is set to last throughout Saturday and into Sunday in these areas.
Worst hit places saw 84mm of rain in 36 hours (Picture: PA)
Saturday’s rain came after persistent downpours on Friday (Picture: PA)
Flooding has been reported in many areas (Picture: PA)
These shoppers didn’t let the rain stop them heading out (Picture: PA)
Maidenhead, Berkshire was one of many places hit by downpours (Picture: PA)
People shelter under an umbrella while looking at the London skyline (Picture: Getty Images)
Rain is likely to disrupt preparations for the London Marathon on Sunday (Picture: PA)
Mr Dewhurst said: ‘It is going to be raining and horrible all day’ on Saturday, adding: ‘If you have to travel take extra time on your journey, the roads will be pretty treacherous at times with poor visibility due to the heavy rain.’
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Drains could become blocked with debris as trees are now in full leaf and there is a heightened risk of flooding and very difficult driving conditions.
Carol Holt, flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, added that ‘widespread and persistent rain is likely to lead to flooding’ in some areas over the weekend.
She added: ‘We urge people to stay away from swollen rivers and not to drive though flood water – it is often deeper than it looks and just 30cm of flowing water is enough to float your car.’
RAC Breakdown spokesman Rod Dennis said that road conditions will be ‘miserable if not downright dangerous’ for drivers this weekend.
He said they will need to be prepared for ‘an ugly mix’ of surface spray, gusty winds and more than likely some disruption on the roads.
Heavy rain is continuing to fall, amid warnings that parts of the UK face the risk of flooding.
The Met Office has issued amber warnings for parts of eastern Scotland, the West Midlands, south-west England and most of Wales.
Police warned motorists to take care, while in Essex, firefighters rescued a family of four when their car became trapped in floodwater.
Yellow, less severe, warnings for rain affect much of the rest of the country.
Rain is forecast to continue overnight, with warnings in force until 06:00 BST on Sunday.
The last time amber warnings for rain were issued was in March, the Met Office said.
The places worst hit so far on Saturday include parts of Exmoor, with 84mm of rain recorded in 36 hours in Liscombe and 74.4mm recorded in Brendon Hill.
The wind direction associated with the weekend's rainfall is "unusual" and rainfall was likely to occur in some areas that are normally well sheltered and drier, the Met Office said.
Drains could also become blocked with debris as trees are now in full leaf.
In areas covered by amber weather warnings, the Met Office warned deep and fast-flowing floodwater may pose a "danger to life" in some areas and there was a "good chance" communities could be cut off.
"Significant gaps remain" between the UK and the EU as Brexit negotiations continue, the European Commission's president said, but talks will continue in an attempt to strike a deal.
On Twitter, Ursula von der Leyen said she has had a "good phone call" with Boris Johnson, during which they discussed how negotiations have been progressing so far.
The pair spoke via video conference and said afterwards they have told their chief negotiators to continue to push "intensively" to strike a post-Brexit trade agreement.
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Road hauliers entering Kent may need a permit after the Brexit transition period ends, just 100 days from now.
A joint statement issued by Ms von der Leyen and Mr Johnson said: "They agreed on the importance of finding an agreement, if at all possible, as a strong basis for a strategic EU-UK relationship in future.
"They endorsed the assessment of both chief negotiators that progress had been made in recent weeks but that significant gaps remained, notably but not only in the areas of fisheries, the level playing field, and governance.
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"They instructed their chief negotiators to work intensively in order to try to bridge those gaps.
"They agreed to speak on a regular basis on this issue."
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The talks that took place last week were said to be the final scheduled round before the prime minister's deadline for securing a deal of the EU Council meeting on 15 October - a date that is only 12 days away.
Mr Johnson said earlier on Saturday the UK would go on pushing for a Canada-style deal with the EU, but would also be ready to end its current trade ties and default to general World Trade Organisation rules, which include quotas and tariffs.
He said: "I think there's a good deal to be done. There's a big opportunity for both sides to do well."
The EU too has said a deal must be sealed by the end of October to leave enough time for ratification by the end of this year.
With this in mind, Mr Johnson and the EC president have now tasked chief negotiators, Britain's Lord Frost and the EU's Michel Barnier with getting back together and pushing to strike a deal before time runs out.
Lord Frost said that the joint statement issued by the PM's office instructs him and Mr Barnier to work intensively to bridge the gap between them and that they would begin as soon as they could.
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Michael Gove is adamant that clauses which have 'caused concern' to some in the EU will not be removed from the Internal Market Bill.
Reuters reported that more trade talks are due in London next week and in Brussels the following week before the 27 national EU leaders meet to assess progress.
An estimated trillion euros worth of annual trade are at stake if they fail to reach a deal.
The EU says it will not implement any agreement if London undermines the earlier Brexit divorce treaty with its draft Internal Market Bill.
"We will continue to maintain a calm and respectful attitude, and we will remain united and determined until the end of these negotiations," Mr Barnier added in a statement.
Brussels claims the prime minister is breaching the "good faith" promise both sides signed up to in the withdrawal agreement struck and passed by parliament last year.
