A Chatham man who went on a month-long burglary spree, committing 22 break-ins across the county, has been jailed for five years.

Jason Ross, 25, of Melbourne Road, was sentenced on Friday, at Maidstone Crown Court after pleading guilty to conspiracy to burglary with intent to steal.

He was joined in the dock by 19-year-old Daryl Rogers, of Swanscombe Street in Swanscombe, who pleaded guilty to the same offence but for 15 of the burglaries and was jailed for three years and four months.

The court heard that Ross stole six cars from different addresses in Gravesend, Medway and Larkfield between 16 December last year and 16 January 2013, as well as a number of mobile phones, laptops and credit cards.

One of the vehicles, a silver Mercedes C220 stolen from a burglary in Springhead Road, Gravesend overnight on December 28, was worth about £60,000 and was one of eight break-ins reported in the town.

Ross carried out 10 burglaries across the Medway Towns, five of which were overnight on January 16 and included the theft of number plates.

Rogers was present with Ross when he carried four breaks in Larkfield, all overnight on 11 January in which iPhones, laptops, iPads, bank cards and a Vauxhall Corsa were stolen.

A number of the stolen vehicles with items of stolen property were recovered nearby the scene of other reported burglaries that Ross was responsible for, which included a number of fingerprints.

Both Ross and Rogers were also spotted by a member of the public pulling up outside a shop in Pattens Lane, Gillingham on January 16 and changing number plates.

Ross was arrested on January 17 in Finsbury Circus in London after a stolen Vauxhall Corsa he was driving with stolen number plates triggered automatic number plate recognition cameras.

After a short pursuit he was found by officers, with the aid of a police dog, hiding in a garden.

Kent Police carried out checks on Rogers’ mobile phone which put him in the area at the time 15 breaks were reported to have happened between January 10 and January 17. He was arrested by officers on March 22.

Investigating officer, DC Robin Hemsley of Kent Police, said: "This pair went on a premeditated spree with the intention of breaking into people’s homes and with the specific intention of taking their valuable belongings and vehicles.

"At times they committed several burglaries in the same street on the same night, using tools to prise open UPVC front doors, which in the majority of cases were not double locked and therefore quite easy to force entry to.

"We were able to put Ross in the area for 20 burglaries and Rogers for 15 breaks as their mobile phones triggered mobile masts.

"We also used forensics for DNA and fingerprints left on some of the vehicles, while Ross also topped up his phone using stolen credit cards that we were able to trace and he was also found wearing items of stolen jewellery.

"Breaking into someone’s home and stealing their belongings is not only an intrusion of their personal space but also impacts on their lives and can have lasting effects, so it’s right that they both facing a lengthy time behind bars."