A PROLIFIC burglar who had plagued homes in the Weald and Maidstone areas for 18 months told police when arrested: "You've hit the jackpot with me."

Mark Stevens, 38, was sentenced to four years at Maidstone Crown Court after admitting four counts of burglary and asking for 60 other offences to be taken into consideration.

Police, who had been hunting Stevens for some time, were delighted at the hefty sentence, and promised the public that they would be able to "sleep easier in their beds" with Stevens behind bars.

Stevens, who had previous convictions for burglary, theft and drugs offences, had only recently moved to Sunningdale Court, Maidstone, after spending 18 months in Marden, where he committed the majority of his burglaries.

But he also told police he had burgled homes in Staplehurst, Headcorn, Barming, the Fant area of Maidstone and the town centre, and as far afield as Canterbury.

He had stolen around £27,000 worth of items in the 18 months, and cost police hundreds of man hours.

Detectives from Maidstone and Malling Police arrested him at Marden Railway Station on April 16. He had on him a haul from four burglaries he had committed that day alone.

He told officers: "You've hit the jackpot with me: I've done loads of burglaries." He then admitted some 60 other offences across the area, which, he said, he had committed to fuel his drug habit.

Stevens is what police call a creeper breaker offender - someone who enters at night when householders are asleep.