Two men have been jailed for a total of 12 years after burgling homes across Medway.

Nicodim-Mihai Soit, 37, and Octavian Secheli, 31, both of no fixed address, were each charged with four counts of burglary at homes in Gillingham and Chatham in April.

Soit was sentenced to a total of eight years in prison and Secheli was sentenced to four and a half year behind bars. Both have to pay a £120 victim surcharge.

The two men were identified as suspects by detectives who were investigating reports of the burglaries.

Secheli and Soit were arrested on April 24 and charged the next day. They appeared at Medway Magistrates' Court on April 28 where Soit pleaded guilty to all four burglary charges.

The offences took place at homes in Pump Lane, Gillingham between April 11 and 14; in Bankside, Chatham on April 17; in Edwin Road, Gillingham between April 18 and 21; and in Maidstone Road, Gillingham on April 23.

Secheli pleaded guilty to three charges of burglary at homes in Bankside, Chatham; Maidstone Road, Gillingham and Edwin Road, Gillingham. He was acquitted of the fourth charge.

Soit also admitted 14 other burglary and attempted burglary offences and asked for those additional offences to be taken into consideration by the court.

Both men were remanded in custody until sentencing on September 15 at Maidstone Crown Court.

Detective Constable Daniel Bister said: "Soit and Secheli had no regard for their actions. They broke into people’s homes and stole whatever they could find.

"Burglary has a huge impact on the victims’ lives and this result shows how seriously Kent Police and the courts take this type of crime. Detectives will continue to work hard to gather evidence to bring offenders before the courts and give some sort of justice to their victims."