A SERIAL Quinton criminal - with 68 convictions for car crime - has been given a final chance to mend his ways after being caught trying to steal a van.

After his arrest John Bray was found to have a duplicate set of keys for the parked Ford Transit and a key decoding device used to prevent the alarm from going off.

But the 32-year-old, of Middle Meadow Avenue, was in work and Wolverhampton Crown Court heard how he was trying to turn his life around.

Judge James Burbidge said because of this he was just able to allow him to keep his freedom and Bray, who admitted attempted theft, was given a 12-month prison sentence suspended for two years.

He was also ordered to obey a four-month curfew between 9pm and 6am and pay £550 costs.

Lisa Hancox, for Bray, said he had been making good progress in recent months and was determined to change his life.