Pizza Hut burglar tried to use Pepsi to wash away blood trail from crime scene

CCTV footage shows William Trotter injured himself as he attempted to commit the robbery

A burglar who cut himself while breaking into a Pizza Hut attempted to wash away the trail of blood with Pepsi.

CCTV footage captured William Trotter, 37, breaking into the restaurant in Sunderland and stealing a till filled with money.

Injuring himself in the process, Trotter left drops of blood around the counter.

He returned to the premises minutes later and attempted to mop up the evidence, before trying to wash it away with a bottle of Pepsi he found in the fridge.

Detectives were called in hours after the break-in at about 5.30am on 17 December, and quickly found blood splashes on a cardboard box which were DNA tested and found to match Trotter, who had got away with around £100 from the till.

Northumbria Police said he appeared at Newcastle Crown Court on 4 February to admit a charge of burglary and he will be sentenced later.

When interviewed by police, Trotter admitted the offence but refused to watch the CCTV, claiming: "It's just a waste of time, get on with it."

Detective Constable Stuart Havery, of Northumbria Police, said: "He broke into the business premises and made away with the till before attempting to wash away the evidence to make sure he was not punished for his actions.

"Unsurprisingly, the extent of his crime could not be hidden by a splash of Pepsi - and he'll now face the consequences of his selfish actions."

Additional reporting from agencies