Three Poles - two of whom had only been in this country a fortnight - were caught as they ransacked the Hounslow home of a solicitor.

She came home, saw men moving about in her house, and called the police - prosecutor James Norris told Isleworth Crown Court last Friday.

The victim, Emma Pereira, in her 30s, was said to be "considerably traumatised" by the incident in March as her home was "completely turned over", said counsel.

Tomasz Krzychoszak, 24, Grzegorz Bulanda, 19, and Pawel Kluczny, 21, all of Kingsley Road, Hounslow, admitted burgling the house in Tiverton Road on March 5. But Krzychoszak was also found guilty by a jury at an earlier hearing of a charge of aggravated burglary because, when arrested, he was found to have a dagger on him.

When police arrived on the scene the trio at first tried to escape and then told officers they had gone into the house "to catch burglars", said Mr Norris.

Krzychoszak first came to this country in November 2004 and has been working as a painter and decorator. Jailing him for three years and recommending him for deportation, Judge Stephen Powles QC told him his offence was specified under new legislation and he could have faced a sentence "for public protection".

"Quite apart from the aggravating feature of ransacking the place, you were equipped with a knife when you burgled this property," he said.

The other two, who had only just arrived in the UK and were looking for work, were each jailed for 12 months, a sentence they had already served on remand. They were not recommended for deportation but the judge said it was "a matter for the immigration authorities".