Mother finds serial burglar, 50, in her child's bedroom and chases him out the house

This is the shocking moment a mother confronted a burglar she found hiding in her child’s bedroom.

Alan Terence Cotton was discovered in the property in Runcorn, Cheshire, on 17 July by the woman, who filmed herself chasing the serial burglar out of the house.

At one point in the clip, Cotton stops to mumble: “Sorry, I’ve had a couple of cans and gone the wrong way.”

He also turns at times to face the camera, before walking at pace from the grounds as the woman tells him to show her what’s in the carrier bag he’s clutching.

She says: “Get out of this house now. Turn round while I film your face.”

After shouting for someone to call the police, she added: “You were hiding in a bedroom, a child’s bedroom.

“You were hiding in a child’s bedroom. You were warned to get off this property yesterday.”

Cotton, of Fallowfield, Runcorn, pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary at Chester Crown Court, and was jailed for seven years and six months.

Details of the charge included stealing a watch and being in possession of two weapons, namely knives, at the time of the offence.

An order was made for the knives to be destroyed.

Cheshire Police reported at the time that officers were called to reports of a man in the address shortly after 1pm, but the suspect had left the scene when they arrived.

Officers arrested Cotton the following day and he was taken into custody.