by Keith Hunt

A gang of professional burglars who carried out at least 20 raids on convenience stores across four counties, including Kent, have been jailed for a total of more than 12 years.

They used stolen cars and smashed their way into shops with crowbars, sledgehammers and cutting equipment.

Maidstone Crown Court heard the night time burglaries netted over £125,000 in cigarettes and caused £25,000 worth of damage.

One Co-op store in Faversham was hit three times, with the loss of nearly £16,000 in cigarettes and a £36,000 bill for damage.

The raids started in Norfolk in March last year and spread into Kent, Sussex and Dorset.

• The first in Kent was on July 1, when £3,700 worth of cigarettes were stolen from a Co-op at Westerham and £600 damage was caused.

• Four days later the gang struck at a Co-op in New Ash Green, where £4,685 worth of cigarettes were taken and the damage totalled £800.

• The first raid on the Faversham Co-op came two days later. They left empty-handed but caused £12,000 worth of damage. They returned to the store on July 23 and this time fled with £15,981 worth of cigarettes, having caused a further £12,000 worth of damage.

• The gang moved onto a Co-op in Ramsgate on August 13 and stole £9,625 worth of cigarettes and caused £500 of damage.

• Next on the hit list was Budgens in Hawkhurst on August 20. Nothing was stolen but £400 of damage was caused.

• The raiders grabbed £10,841 worth of cigarettes from a Co-op at Twydall Green, Gillingham, eight days later. Over £500 of damage was caused.

• They returned to the Faversham Co-op the same day. Again they left empty-handed but caused yet another £12,000 of damage.

The spree came to an end at a Co-op in Swanage, Dorset, on September 2 when four men, all from Nottingham, were arrested after a police chase.

Daniel Marriott, 23, Luke Abrahams, 24, and William Dunbar, 23, admitted conspiracy to burgle, while Dannie Robinson, 27, admitted one burglary. Marriott was sentenced to four years and 12 months consecutive for separate burglaries in Staffordshire, aggravated vehicle taking and driving while disqualified.

Abrahams was sentenced to two years, Dunbar to four years and Robinson 12 months and nine months consecutive for breaching a suspended sentence.