A prolific criminal who wrecked a priceless artefact during a Carlisle Cathedral break-in has been condemned as a "plague upon this city".

Dean George Higgins, 34, was locked up for 28 months by a judge who heard his historic building raid was the latest in a long line of offences.

Higgins was sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court after admitting burglary with intent to steal and two unconnected shoplifting crimes.

Neil Ronan, prosecuting, said a verger at the "beautiful" cathedral watched on CCTV as Higgins and another male entered at around 7am on August 9.

Higgins climbed over wooden fretwork to get into a shop, which was closed, and headed straight for a charity box. When shouted at to leave, he clambered out the same way.

In doing so, the court heard, he damaged the 15th Century pre-Reformation wooden framework. Debris was left on the floor.

Mr Ronan said: "It is impossible to quite put a figure on the damage to this sort of artisan and bespoke fretwork of such a vintage."

There had been a "guestimate" of £2,000 provided by cathedral representatives, although nobody had yet been tasked to carry out repairs.

Higgins committed the crime while on bail for two shoplifting offences. He had snatched a bottle of vodka from a store at the city's St Nicholas Gate, and a £1 sandwich from a Wigton Road shop.

The court heard Higgins, of Howard Place, Carlisle, had scores of convictions for 127 offences.

Paul Tweddle, mitigating, conceded the cathedral break-in was a "somewhat unsavoury offence".

But he stressed that the damage was not deliberate vandalism.

Mr Tweddle accepted Higgins' criminal record was "unenviable", and said he was on the verge of being institutionalised.

"The impression I get of him is somebody who has been criminally beset by issues of alcohol offending, in prison and then press the pause button and repeat," said Mr Tweddle.

"He lives in a world of his own which is effectively a criminal world."

Jailing Higgins, Recorder Andrew Nuttall concluded he had been "a plague upon this city for a long time".

Speaking of the cathedral crime, Recorder Nuttall said: "A meaner offender it is hard to imagine."

He told Higgins: "It probably won't mean much to you but that priceless piece of woodwork has been here for over 500 years.

"It was here and apparently undamaged when the Jacobites were imprisoned at the cathedral in this city in the 18th Century.

"It is a piece of history that the city is very proud of."