Three men have been jailed after conspiring to steal dozens of heavy duty batteries from phone masts across Kent - in a series of crimes worth some £50,000.

Officers on patrol in Pells Lane, West Kingsdown, stopped a white van on 12.22pm on August 11 last year, after noticing it appeared overweight.

Absolem Brown was driving the vehicle while brothers Tom and John Dunn were sitting in the front passenger seat.

On checking the rear of the van, the officers found 68 large batteries that Brown said were to be sold as scrap.

The van was seized along with two mobile phones the brothers had hidden in the front of the vehicle. Brown’s mobile phone was also seized.

John and Tom Dunn, both of South Ash Road in Ash, near Sevenoaks, and Brown, of Pitt Road in Kingswood, Maidstone, were all arrested on suspicion of theft.

They were later bailed while inquiries were made to identify where the batteries had come from.

Four of the batteries were subsequently identified as having been stolen from a phone mast in Hook Green Road, Southfleet on June 26, 2017.

A further 12 batteries were of the same make and model to the other batteries that were stolen at the same time from the site, with Tom Dunn’s fingerprint found on one of these batteries.

Another 16 batteries were identified as having been stolen in a burglary at a phone mast in Sole Street, Gravesend on August 7, 2017.

Tom Dunn’s fingerprint was also found on one of these batteries.

A further four batteries were shown to have been stolen from a business in Newington, Sittingbourne on August 11, 2017.

In total, the investigators gathered evidence connecting the three men to 10 phone mast burglaries in Kent where the cost of replacing the stolen batteries was almost £50,000.

The three men were subsequently charged with conspiracy to commit burglaries between June 16 and August 12 last year.

On May 24, 2018, John Dunn pleaded guilty to the offence at Maidstone Crown Court.

Tom Dunn and Absolem Brown pleaded not guilty at the same court on Monday, August 20 and, after a seven day trial, were convicted by the jury.

On Tuesday, 32-year-old Tom Dunn was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison, 34-year-old John Dunn to two years and six months in prison and 53-year-old Absolem Brown was jailed for two years and four months.

Investigating officer, DC Ben Willbye said: "These men conspired to break into secure compounds to steal batteries for the lead found inside them.

"Their crimes involved significant planning and damage was caused at the phone mast compounds to gain entry during the hours of darkness.

"The disruption to phone networks was significant as was the cost of replacing the batteries. It is only right that their criminal activities have led to lengthy prison sentences."