THE mum of a former broker who became a "crimewave" said her son "doesn't make a likely burglar".

Teresa Adams-Stairs, 64, spoke after son David Adams was jailed for five years and four months this week after committing almost 60 burglaries and attempted burglaries.

As reported in the Daily Echo, Adams, 33, took his bicycle aboard trains to visit neighbourhoods and case properties.

The music production graduate, of Pound Lane in Poole, stole cash and jewellery from homes Sway, Hordle, New Milton, West Wellow and Nursling.

He single-handedly increased the burglary rate threefold in some rural areas.

Mrs Adams-Stairs, who runs the post office in Poole with her wife Georgina, said: "He's my son and you have to stand by him no matter how big an idiot he's been.

"I just feel so sorry for those people who came home to find their possessions had been taken.

"David handed himself into police the second time round and the officer said he couldn't believe he was a burglar, he was so different to what they were used to.

"He's a lovely man and he's so creative. It's just like there are two completely different sides to him."

Adams attended the private Duke of Kent RAF School in Ewhurst, Surrey. The school is open to the sons of former and serving RAF personnel.

He then attended the private Stanbridge Earls School in Romsey, Hampshire, which specialised in educating students with dyslexia. He went on to study at Southampton Solent University.

After graduating, Adams became a foreign exchange broker in London.

He was jailed for committing a string of burglaries in 2013, and when released in September 2015 established his own recruitment business specialising in the water sports industry.

However, the company began to fail, and Adams turned back to committing burglaries.

Mrs Adams-Stairs, who lives in Sturminster Marshall, said: "When David lived and worked in in London we lost contact.

"I think he developed a gambling problem and that led to his first burglaries.

"We reconciled when he was about to go to prison for the first time.

"When he came out he was determined to get a job and he set up his own recruitment agency.

"But he got back into gambling.

"When I was told he had been arrested again it came as a huge shock because I thought he had learnt his lesson.

"I got a knock on the door at eight in the morning from the police and I knew it had to be David.

"But not many people get a third chance after they've been twice to prison.

"I hope he can change but I don't know."