Two prolific burglars, one of whom broke into nine houses, have been jailed.

Over four weeks during November and December last year, police received reports that nine properties in Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and Sevenoaks had been burgled, with jewellery stolen from some.

On December 6, a hire car was spotted by a patrol on the A2 near Gravesend and the officers attempted to stop the driver.

The vehicle did not stop and was driven dangerously and at high speeds before it was abandoned in Freeman Road.

The occupants escaped on foot and officers seized a phone from inside the vehicle, which was later identified to be that of Luke La-Fon of Suffolk Road, Gravesend.

The officers also recovered a pillowcase containing jewellery that had been thrown from the car during the chase, which had been stolen from a house in Southborough earlier that day.

The hire car had been rented by one of his associates and a tracker in the vehicle showed it travelling to the scene of the Southborough burglary.

The 34-year-old was arrested on December 15 by investigators from the Kent Crime Squad.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition and his phone connected him to the other break-ins and he was later charged with conspiracy to commit burglaries, aggravated vehicle taking and driving without insurance.

Jake Hall of Tunstall Road in Brixton was then identified as being present at six of the break-ins with La-Fon at Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells, with his car shown to have travelled to each of the scenes.

The 33-year-old was detained on December 29 and charged with conspiracy to commit burglary.

Both men pleaded guilty at Woolwich Crown Court, and yesterday, May 22, La-Fon was sentenced to three years and ten months’ imprisonment, and Hall was jailed for two years and six months.

“They had no consideration for the impact their actions would have on the victims and have been brought to justice”

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Dan Bister, said: “These two criminals targeted houses in west Kent while the occupants were absent, causing considerable damage to gain access to the properties and completing untidy searches to steal quantities of jewellery.

“They had no consideration for the impact their actions would have on the victims and have been brought to justice through a combination of proactive policing and a thorough investigation.”