When the home of an 81-year-old Broadstairs man was repeatedly targeted by thieves, police set a trap.

Officers installed £700 of surveillance equipment to capture the raiders on video - and it worked.

But Canterbury Crown Court heard canny thieves Timothy Gregory and Thomas Thomson worked out a way they could still escape undetected… they stole the camera and video recorder.

The pair swiped the camera - and then returned to the house in Carlton Avenue, followed the wires and found the recorder behind the fridge.

But the judge heard 22-year-old Gregory later rang the police and confessed to being the burglar - and admitted dumping the equipment in a nearby garden.

The thief - who admitted 27 burglaries, thefts from cars and abstracting electricity at his home in Newcastle Hill, Ramsgate - was jailed for 32 months.

Judge James O'Mahony told him: "I am told that you hate prison - people that you burgled will be pleased to hear that."

Thomson, 18, also of Newcastle Hill, was given a 12-month sentence suspended for two years.

Jim Harvey, prosecuting, told the court how Gregory had also targeted hundreds of cars – stealing items from unlocked vehicles.

"i am told that you hate prison - people that you burgled will be pleased to hear that…” – judge james o'mahony

"Officers went to his home and discovered a number of items including a pair of rare Ferrari sunglasses, which had been stolen from a car parked in Ramsgate four days earlier.

"He then admitted he had been targeting a number of cars in the area and confessed all the items found at his home had come from cars.

"Police also found he had rigged up a system to by-pass the electricity meter.”

Mr Harvey added: "While he was on bail, he went to Carlton Avenue, Broadstairs. between 10pm and 11.15pm. The occupant is an 81-year-old gentleman who had been repeatedly targeted by burglars.

"Police set up surveillance cameras and video recording equipment. That equipment was then stolen.

"Gregory realised it was police property when he stole it so he made sure he stole the recording equipment as well so that no evidence was left there."

He later contacted police and, en route to the police station, directed them to the location where he discarded the police equipment.

That equipment was gone, but they spoke to the occupant of the house who remembered it appearing in his garden, but had disposed of it - "assuming it had been fly tipping".

Gregory said associates had told him of raids on the property and he thought it was an easy place to get some money.

He took part in another burglary on August 7 in St Peters Court, Broadstairs.

The victim was an 82-year-old male who lived there alone. After 2pm, the occupant went for a short nap in his bedroom and woke up ay 3pm and saw items of property scattered on the floor. He realised that he had been a victim of a break-in.

Police arrived and spoke to a neighbour, who reported someone had knocked on their door claiming he was looking for a man who owed him some money.

Mr Harvey said: "He remembered the man had a distinct tattoo on his neck, a set of playing cards. Gregory has the same tattoo."