A prolific burglar who stuffed a pillow case with a computer tablet and a laptop during a string of raids in Maidstone and Chatham has been jailed for more than three years.

Atkinjoe Izuebe, 26, was responsible for a spate of break-ins from December 2017, which also included properties in Orpington.

His crime spree came to an end on January 29, after reports were made to police of a suspicious man running in an area close to the scene of a burglary in Park Way, Maidstone. Patrols carried out a search of the area, which led to Izuebe being stopped.

He was carrying gloves and a face mask and had items of jewellery stashed in his pockets, as well as £420 in cash and a stolen watch on his wrist.

Further enquiries led to a pillow case being located underneath a vehicle parked in nearby Heather Drive. It was stuffed with stolen items including a computer tablet and a laptop.

A search warrant was later executed at an address linked to Izuebe in Sussex Road, Maidstone. Inside, officers seized even more stolen items, including jewellery, computer devices and a digital camera.

Izuebe, formerly of Plains Avenue, Maidstone, was charged with 11 counts of burglary and a further count of attempted burglary. He pleaded guilty at Woolwich Crown Court and was sentenced to three years and four months imprisonment.

Leading the investigation was detective constable Raj Dusanjh who said: "Izuebe deliberately chose properties he thought would be empty, often targeting addresses during school runs.

"Many of his victims arrived home to find possessions and contents of drawers strewn all over the floor and their homes sometimes left in a terrible mess.

"I’m pleased we have now been able to bring Izuebe to justice and thankfully we have also been able to return a significant number of stolen items to their rightful owners."