A moped rider who snatched handbags from women walking alone at night has been locked up.

Jack Percival, 22, admitting targeting five women in December last year and has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.

Percival, of no fixed address, and an unknown accomplice carried out the offences using a Honda moped which had been reported stolen during a robbery in Dartford several days earlier.

He targeted a 23-year-old woman who had her handbag stolen and was pulled to the ground in Pelham Road, Gravesend, at 8.45pm on Wednesday, December 13.

Another woman, 49, was also dragged to the ground while she walked in Overcliffe in the town shortly after 9pm on the same day.

Percival stole her handbag containing an iPad, an iPhone and other possessions.

Then he stole a handbag from a woman, 39, when he took it from her shoulder as she walked in Milton Road, at about 9.10pm the same night.

The bag contained a Sony smartphone, £30 cash and various bank cards.

He also approached another woman the next day as she walked in Pelham Road.

Percival went up to the woman at about 7.15pm, but he failed to remove her bag from her shoulder.

Then on Saturday, December 16, shortly before 8pm he targeted a 36-year-old woman who fell to the ground after having her handbag snatched on London Road, Swanscombe.

However, Percival dropped the bag and she managed to reach it before Percival and the other offender sped off.

Officers on patrol in Northfleet a few days later discovered the stolen moped parked a short distance away from an address which was linked to Percival.

They were later able to prove he had been in each of the areas at the time the crimes were carried out.

Percival was arrested in January and subsequently pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery, two counts of attempted robbery and one count of theft.

He denied a further two offences which will be kept on file following his sentencing at Woolwich Crown Court.

DC Dameon Shaw said after sentencing: "Percival has proven himself to be a cowardly individual by using a moped in order to steal handbags from women walking alone at night when they were at their most vulnerable.

"There is not a current crime trend in Kent related to robberies committed by people riding mopeds, and the number of incidents reported to us remains very low. I hope this case demonstrates that anyone who plans to carry out such offences will be arrested and sent to prison."