A Kent man has been jailed for four years for his part in a conspiracy to steal lorries and trailers containing valuable consignments.

Stuart Nicholson, of Bindon Blood Road, Whitfield, Dover and five others were sentenced to a total of 27 years and two months behind bars.

Nicholson, who has served five-and-a-half years for a drugs conspiracy, was described as “the man on the ground in Kent”.

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The 47-year-old father stood trial with Graham Ascroft, 55, who played a logistical role operated from Lancashire.

Both Nicholson and Ascroft, of Holmes, Tarleton, Preston, denied conspiracy to steal but were convicted.

The “theft team" - Lee Gilmore, 32, Jeffrey Hamid, 31, John Dahl, 43, and Darren Price, 39, all from Liverpool - admitted the charge.

Price, Gilmore, Dahl and Ascroft were each jailed for four years and eight months and Hamid for four-and-a-half years.

Maidstone Crown Court heard the trucks and trailers were stolen from depots in the Dover area by an organised gang.

One load contained £80,000 worth of Toblerone chocolate and another £8,000 worth of whisky.

The stolen tractor units and trailers were driven to the north to be disposed of.

Prosecutor Dale Sullivan said the thieves used hire vehicles and stolen tractor units to travel to Kent, where they were assisted by Nicholson.

A trailer containing 162 bottles of 18-25-year-old whisky was parked in a sealed compound at Clan International at Lydden Hill.

When the driver went to Dover’s Eastern Docks on April 7 2013 with the cargo destined for Switzerland he told Customs officers he believed the seal on the trailer had been tampered with and feared people had hidden inside.

But when it was checked it was discovered a pallet of whisky was missing.

Another depot targeted the same month was that of A C Wellard & Partners in Menzies Road, Whitfield.

An angle grinder was used to break open the main gate and the keys to a £15,000 tractor unit were stolen before it was driven away.

It was found by chance four days later by a friend of the owner in the yard of G K Friend, close to where Nicholson lived. The number plates had been cloned.

On April 26, Clan International’s yard was again broken into and a £26,000 tractor unit and refrigerated trailer containing the chocolate was taken.

When it was recovered in Lancashire the trailer containing the load was missing.

Passing sentence, Judge Philip Statman said: “This case has at the heart the fact that criminals were prepared for obvious gain to leave their home turf, at least in respect of four of you, and journey from the north west of England to the area of Kent.

“You were prepared to be party to a conspiracy to steal valuable consignments of Scotch whisky and Toblerone chocolate, together with tractor units from the Kent area, then to return to the north where the goods were to be ‘slaughtered’ at the premises associated with Mr Ascroft for onward distribution.

“This, in my judgement, is sophisticated premier league crime and those who are caught for crimes of this kind must understand that crime does not pay and that exemplary sentences will be passed in order to deter others.”

"This, in my judgement, is sophisticated premier league crime and those who are caught for crimes of this kind must understand that crime does not pay..." - Judge Philip Statman

It was right to observe, said the judge, that trailer yards were not just entered and loads stolen. There was the need to reconnoitre the site and judge how best to break in, as well as other arrangements.

“Teams such as you require and use the latest in mobile phone technology to contact each other and ensure the loads when stolen will be safely received in the north west of England,” he continued.

“The economic loss has to be approached with the greatest of care. It is right to observe there is a knock-on effect in terms of economic loss when crimes of this kind occur.

“There has to be a review of on-site security, there is the expense of ensuring new keys are cut, CCTV is reviewed and insurance premiums rise.”

Judge Statman said Price and Dahl were each sentenced to 12 years imprisonment in October 2005 for conspiracy to rob and steal involving firearms.

Ascroft was jailed for six years in 2000 for conspiracy to steal from lorries. He escaped while serving the sentenced and fled to Spain. He eventually returned and was given a further sentence for escape.

Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Jon Saxby said: “These sentences reflect the seriousness of these offences – organised, professional thieves who stole lorries and lorry loads to sell on.

“Ascroft, it appears, made the contacts to sell the haul on while Price and others travelled the country to target hauliers to steal the vehicles and the consignments.

“While this group made a quick sale, legitimate businesses and hauliers suffered greatly with property stolen, deliveries cancelled, excess payments on insurance and not to mention the inconvenience to their customers.

“The message is simple – if you commit crime in Kent, no matter where you are from, we will find you and we will bring you to justice.”

After sentencing, investigating officer Detective Sergeant Jon Saxby said: "These sentences reflect the seriousness of these offences – organised, professional thieves who stole lorries and lorry loads to sell on.

"Ascroft, it appears made the contacts to sell the haul on whilst Price and others travelled the country to target hauliers to steal the vehicles and the consignments.

"Whilst this group made a quick sale, legitimate businesses and hauliers suffered greatly with property stolen, deliveries cancelled, excess payments on insurance and not to mention the inconvenience to their customers.

“The message is simple – if you commit crime in Kent, no matter where you are from, we will find you and we will bring you to justice.”