A GETAWAY driver who helped in a burglary at a house in Bradford on Christmas Day, when presents were stolen from under the tree, has been jailed.

Amaan Rashid, 24, of Penfield Grove, Clayton, was part of a gang whose haul - valued at about £400 - included a Playstation, Nintendo Wii, a whisky hip flask and a Black and Decker power tool.

Bradford Crown Court heard today that the owner of the house in Cote Lane, Allerton, had gone to Grimsby for the day and returned on Boxing Day to find the "back door smashed in" and presents stolen from under the Christmas tree.

Rashid - who was out on licence for drugs offences, the court heard - drove the burglars to the property and sounded his horn to alert them when police arrived at the scene.

Prosecutor Simon Haring said Rashid "reversed rapidly" along Cote Lane in a Mondeo car when officers arrived.

He added that after police had used a patrol car to push the Mondeo into a wall, Rashid tried to run off.

"He climbed out of the car and jumped over a dry stone wall," said Mr Haring. "He put his hand on the bonnet of the police car and was identified from the car's CCTV and the fingerprint that was found on the bonnet."

Judge Peter Benson said: "On this occasion on Christmas Day, you, together with at least two, if not three, other men who were clad with hoodies and scarves across their faces, drove them to a house which they burgled.

"They took the family's Christmas presents from under the tree, including electrical items of some value.

"You sounded your horn to alert the burglars to the presence of the police, so you were part of the gang. Your role was an important one, driving them to and from the place where the burglary took place.

"The impact on that family of having people entering their house on Christmas Day and having presents taken must have been very distressing.

"An aggravating feature is that you were on licence. This was a serious offence committed while on licence."

Ken Green, for Rashid, said his client had been released from custody in October last year, and added: "Save for this offence he has done very well."

Mr Green said Rashid has been seeking employment since his release from prison and had been working at a garage for free in an attempt to learn how to become a mechanic.

"He has done very well," said Mr Green.

Rashid, a married father of two young children with no previous convictions for burglary, was jailed for ten months. He had pleaded guilty to a charge of burglary at an earlier hearing.