Ayckbourn bumped into thief in home

Anthony Kelly, 31, wandered into the five-floor building looking for valuables when he walked straight past the 71-year-old writer and director, who merely assumed he was visiting a member of his household staff.

But the father-of-one, who has previous convictions for burglary, then went on to help himself to thousands of pounds worth of jewellery belonging to Sir Alan's wife Heather.

He also took the playwright's personalised black iPod which is inscribed "Sir Alan Ayckbourn" plus cash and a rucksack.

But police in Sir Alan's home town of Scarborough, found Kelly's fingerprints on a letterbox and traced him to his mother's address nearby.

Jailing him for 18 months at York Crown Court, Judge John Swanson said: "You entered a large property where this very successful man entertains many visitors and friends and family.

"You came across him and he assumed you were visiting someone in the house so there was no confrontation, which is a mercy."

Prosecuting, David Garnett revealed Kelly had already stolen 2,000 worth of goods from a flat in the town on August 13 last year before he entered the Ayckbourn home five days later.

It is thought that he did not force entry and found an open door. He pleaded guilty to two burglaries and one charge of handling stolen goods. He had been jailed previously for similar offences in 1995 and 1997.