A THIEF who broke into an Ilkley house over the New Year really did have his cake and eat it.

For the burglar wolfed down not only a home-made Christmas cake but a box of chocolates as well.

He then made off with Christmas presents worth more than £1,300.

Nicky Solloway, 34, had been visiting her family in Cumbria over the New Year period only to return to her Ben Rhydding home to find the burglar had eaten her Christmas cake.

The house had been burgled between Saturday, December 29, and Tuesday, January 1.

When Nicky and her husband, Fernando Solano, returned they found their back door open and one of their windows broken.

'We saw a light on and knew something was wrong because we hadn't left it on,' said the part-time Ilkley Gazette sub-editor. 'The house was freezing and we found the door and the window in the kitchen wide open.'

The thief had taken a purple and yellow Saracen mountain bike, a lap top computer and a ruby ring, which was a family heirloom.

After taking valuables worth £1,330 the thieves then tucked into a Christmas cake which Nicky had left in the kitchen.

'We couldn't believe it when we saw that he had eaten the cake,' added Nicky. 'He had taken a knife out of the drawer to cut it as well, but did leave us a quarter of it.'

The couple had to keep the window open and wait in their freezing home until the police arrived three hours later.