A BURGLAR who denied seeing a naked woman when he broke into her home – despite her protestations to the contrary – had been released from HMP Pentonville to a Bournemouth dry house weeks before the crime.

As reported in the Daily Echo, Lee James targeted an address in Woodbury Avenue, Bournemouth on September 19 2018.

He had been released from the London prison on August 23.

A court heard that after his release, James, who has no family connections in Bournemouth, was sent to the town to deal with his addiction problems.

The 41-year-old had been living in Gresham Road, Charminster when he stole a large black purse from the victim's handbag.

During a sentencing hearing, a judge heard James was "living in a dry house in Bournemouth for the first time ever" and "didn't know Bournemouth at all".

The news has sparked anger from Dorset's police and crime commissioner Martyn Underhill, who has previously been critical of the number of former prisoners from all over the country who are sent to rehabilitation centres in Bournemouth.

Mr Underhill said: "This really does concern me.

"The problem with discharging someone from prison to Bournemouth without proper wrap-around support is proved by this story."

The commissioner is working with Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood and councillors to prevent prisoners from being discharged straight to the town, he said.

Mr Underhill also criticised the "plethora of HMOs (houses in multiple occupation", as well as a Bournemouth council decision to reject a compulsory landlord licensing scheme.

James, a prolific burglar with some 31 convictions for 77 offences - including 19 home burglaries - admitted burgling the Woodbury Avenue address.

He was sentenced to 32 months in prison after a hearing in which the victim claimed she had been naked when she spotted James rifling through her handbag.

James denied the claim, as well as further allegations that she had repeatedly screamed at him to "get out" and thrown a flip-flop at him.