A convicted burglar has successfully turned his life around and started his own business after being given a chance to beat his drug addiction.

Adam Pearson, 26, broke into homes in St Albans and Harpenden looking for jewellery to pay for Class A drugs.

In 2012 Mr Pearson, of Newgate Close, St Albans, was placed on the Choices and Consequences Programme when he appeared at St Albans Crown Court. He admitted seven house burglaries and asked for 239 to be taken into consideration.

He had to undergo 36 months' supervision and was subjected to random drug testing. In addition, he completed 200 hours' unpaid work, attended numerous probation appointments, attended education and training programmes and abided by a 26 week curfew. He returned to court 22 times for progress reports.

To mark his success on the C2, he made his last appearance at the court.

Judge Jonathan Carroll said in 2012 Mr Pearson had been at his lowest ebb. The judge said: "He was under the curse of Class A addiction and his life was out of control."

He told him that in most places he would have received a very substantial sentence and most members of the general public would have said 'throw away the key.'

The judge said prison would have been the easiest option because he would have "just put his head down and done his time". He said the C2 programme is harder and a much greater challenge. Offenders have to challenge their drug use and confront the pain they have caused to their victims.

Mr Pearson, who has set up a web design business, told the judge: " I survived it. It was hard. I hated it, but I started to see how the victims were affected. In the end, it fell together after about 2 years."

He was presented with a certificate of commendation by Hertfordshire Deputy Chief Constable Michelle Dunn.

The C2 programme was the brainchild of Judge Michael Baker QC. It was launched in 2007 and aimed at offering prolific criminals a chance to break free from crime by tackling their drug use. Since 2011, those on the programme wear GPS trackers so they can be monitored 24 hours a day.