"You lot will have to find us" - that was the taunt made in a telephone call to police from fuel thieves targeting petrol stations across north Kent, a court heard.

Aware their crime spree was being investigated, they contacted police and left a number for them to be contacted on.

When told in the subsequent call they needed to be interviewed, one replied: "We ain't coming. You lot will have to find us. You lot are always mugging us off so we thought we'd mug you off."

Between July and November last year, the trio were involved in almost 80 thefts, using 14 vehicles which they bought cheaply and then later scrapped in order to avoid detection.

The gang would also use large containers to maximise the amount of fuel they could take before driving away from garage forecourts without paying.

Maidstone Crown Court heard front number plates were removed or tape was used to black out the registration during the thefts in Gravesend, Medway, Swale, Sevenoaks and Maidstone.

The trio was even involved in two police pursuits, and also continued with their stealing spree while on police bail.

But despite their telephone boast in November last year that they were "mugging off" the police, the long arm of the law caught up with all three within days and they have now been jailed for a total of six years and seven months.

Gavin Blackston, 26, of Trafalgar Road, Gravesend, admitted conspiracy to steal and dangerous driving and was jailed for a total of 29 months.

His cousin, Reece Blackston, 23, of Longfield Road, Meopham, and Nathan Presland, 22, of Rochester Road, Gravesend, pleaded guilty to the same conspiracy charge.

Presland also admitted dangerous driving and driving without insurance and a licence. Both men were sentenced to 25 months.

Father-of-two Gavin Blackston and Presland were also banned from driving for two years.

Prosecutor Bridget Todd said the scam was "an organised venture" and the telephone conversation was indicative of their general attitude. "They have treated this as some sort of game," she added.

The total financial loss was £5,442 but the court heard several of the fuel stations were repeatedly hit and had "suffered greatly".

Those targeted included Shell garages in Stonebridge Road, Northfleet, and Main Road, Longfield, a Co-op store in Rochester, Morrisons in Northfleet and Queenborough, the Jet petrol station at Four Elms, Rochester, and the BP garage in St Paul's Street, Sittingbourne.

Vehicles used were a Ford Focus, VW Polo, Fiat Punto, Honda Civic, Citroen C8, Peugeot 306, Vauxhall Corsa, Vauxhall Zafira, Ford Ka and a Renault Megane. Many were sold on for as little as £40 to car breakers.

Gavin Blackston, who has previous convictions for assaulting police, burglary and theft, was involved in 62 of the fuel thefts.

Reece Blackston, whose previous convictions include offences of battery, escape from custody, witness intimidation and violent disorder, was involved in 50, while Presland, who has convictions for battery and burglary, was linked to 12.

The police investigation was said to have taken up a large amount of police resources and involved officers viewing hours of CCTV footage, including that of a theft which was caught on an Argos delivery van onboard camera.

Jailing the men, Judge Charles Macdonald QC said: "This was a sophisticated, planned, long-term theft of fuel....There was a major police investigation, causing much inconvenience and loss to the public purse....This was disgraceful and persistent offending which requires punishment and deterrent."

Although the main bulk of their thefts started in July last year, the court heard the first was committed in October 2014. The vehicle used was registered to Gavin Blackston's father but he told police he had given it to his son to learn to drive.

In September last year, Presland was at the wheel of Honda Civic which had been used to steal fuel in Rochester. Having been spotted by police on the A2 at Gravesend, he was pursued by police through Swanscombe and Northfleet.

The court was told he drove over a mini-roundabout, through a No Entry sign, reached speeds up to 60mph and caused other motorists to swerve out of his path

A stinger device was employed but, despite a rear tyre deflating, Presland continued to drive before colliding with another vehicle in Gravesend. He decamped and later claimed "a Polish man" had been driving the foreign-registered car.

The second pursuit involved Gavin Blackston at the wheel of a Vauxhall Zafira in October last year, with his cousin as a passenger.

He was spotted by police in Frindsbury but accelerated away onto the A226 Gravesend Road and into Pear Tree Lane, Shorne.

"He tried to evade a stinger device by pulling onto the opposite carriageway, causing motorists to take evading action," said Miss Todd.

"He continued on the wrong side of the carriageway...Three police cars were in pursuit and one made tactical contact on a number of occasions before the vehicle was pinned by all three to the grass bank."

Tom Stern, defending Gavin Blackston, said the catalyst for his offending was the "traumatic effect" of his girlfriend suffering a miscarriage.

"He fully acknowledges he became regardless of the things that mattered in his life," he added.

"His emotional breakdown led to this rather ridiculous offending."

The court was also told his third child is due to be born in July.

Craig Evans, defending Reece Blackston, said the shopfitter succumbed to temptation after breaking his ankle and being unable to work.

John Fitzgerald, defending Presland, said his involvement was significantly less and disagreed that it was a game, as described by the prosecution.

"He couldn't get work, he was trying to support himself and this was a means of getting money."

The court heard his first child was born three months' prematurely while he was in custody, and is still in intensive care following heart surgery.