A greedy burglar who stole three vehicles from a small village in one night has been jailed.

James Hilden, 34, formerly of Frittenden Close, Ashford, stole a Land Rover Defender, a Nissan Micra and a £7,000 ride-on lawnmower within the space of just a few hours.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary, two counts of theft and one count of attempted theft, and was jailed for two years when he appeared at Canterbury Crown Court on Thursday, December 4.

On the morning of August 6, a resident of Ashford Road, Great Chart, reported his Land Rover Defender had been taken from his garage and abandoned in nearby fields. A jack had been stolen from the boot.

The second vehicle, a Nissan Micra, was taken from outside a house in The Street, Great Chart, and found burnt out in Coleman’s Kitchen Woods, Kingsnorth – less than a mile from Hilden’s home – the next morning.

Finally, a ride-on lawnmower worth £7,000 was stolen from another property in The Street and the jack from the Land Rover was found nearby.

Hilden was arrested when crime scene investigators matched his DNA to evidence found on the wires of the Land Rover’s ignition.

Investigating officer Detective Constable David Cox said: "Great Chart is a very small village where crime is rare and on that night James Hilden’s offences were the only ones reported there.

"Hilden thought he could get away with stealing other people’s property but he did not count on the excellent work carried out by forensics officers who were able to prove his involvement.

"The weight of evidence against Hilden was so great he had little choice but to plead guilty and I am pleased he will now serve time behind bars."