A prolific criminal who targeted a number of properties and vehicles has been jailed for eight years.

Gary Parks pleaded guilty to a string of crimes around Wilmington, Sevenoaks and Dartford.

An Audi and a Mercedes were stolen from a driveway in Wilmington shortly after midnight on April 3 after the owner discovered the vehicle keys had been taken from inside their house.

Police found the offenders had used a hire vehicle to drive there and were later able to prove Parks had been involved.

Parks was also one of a gang of three who stole perfume valued at more than £6,000 from Boots in Sevenoaks High Street on April 12.

They put the stolen goods in rucksacks before leaving without paying and Parks was identified from CCTV.

In the early hours of June 4, Parks went to Dartford High Street in a stolen Land Rover Discovery.

Its number plates were from a similar vehicle that he had stolen during the previous evening in Blackheath, London.

Parks and two others forced open the doors of Savers and stole perfume worth more than £3,300 before driving off.

Investigators examined CCTV footage and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras and were able to prove Parks had been using the vehicle and been involved in the burglary.

Their inquiries led to a search of the Welling area where the Land Rover was found on June 6.

On June 18, a search warrant was executed at an address in Plumstead where Parks, of Okehampton Crescent, Welling, was arrested.

The 35-year-old was charged with two counts of burglary, two thefts of motor vehicles, theft from a motor vehicle, receiving stolen property and theft from a shop.

He appeared at Woolwich Crown Court and was sentenced on Thursday, September 12.

Detective Constable Emma Laimbeer said: “Parks is a prolific offender who targeted a victim’s home overnight to steal car keys, without considering the impact this would have on those who live at the address.

“Furthermore he had no regard for the financial impact on businesses from losing large amounts of valuable stock.

“The cost of repairing the damage to the doors of one of the premises should also not be underestimated.”