Three Brighton and Hove burglars have been jailed after being caught by detectives investigating break-ins in the area.
Anthony Bailey, Kai Griffiths and Peter Marsh have been jailed for almost 12 years as part of Operation Magpie, the Sussex Police crackdown on burglary across the county.
Bailey, 30, moved to Brighton while on licence after being released from prison part way through a sentence for a burglary in Nottinghamshire.
On 21 March Bailey broke into a house in Thornhill Rise, Portslade, and stole the keys to a BMW coupe before driving off in the car. Officers pursued him to Peacehaven where he was arrested when he tried to run off.
Bailey, of Rose Hill Terrace, Brighton, was jailed for five years after he pleaded guilty to burglary, aggravated vehicle taking, dangerous driving, driving without insurance and driving without a licence.
Griffiths already had a conviction for burglary when he broke into Superdrug in Station Road, Portslade, on 17 February and stole hundreds of pounds of perfume and aftershave. He was charged and convicted of burglary and was jailed for four years.
The 34-year-old, of George Williams Mews, Portslade, also admitted carrying out a series of burglaries at shops in Brighton and Portslade over the past four years.
Marsh was jailed for three years and eight months after he stole thousands of pounds of jewellery from a shop in Meeting House Lane in Brighton on 19 April.
The 35-year-old, of no fixed address, committed that burglary while he was on bail waiting to stand trial after breaking into a different shop in Meeting House Lane and stealing jewellery worth £10,000 in December.
Detective Inspector Clare Shiel said: “Getting Bailey, Griffiths and Marsh off the streets is a great result for both residents and businesses.
“They would have continued to commit crime until they were caught, as Griffiths showed when he admitted committing burglaries in the city as far as back as 2009.
“We can now focus our attention on reducing even more the number of burglaries being committed in Brighton and Hove.”
Another Brighton burglary suspect has been ordered to appear at the crown court.
Ryan Wardrop, 41, of no fixed address, will appear at Lewes Crown Court after being charged with a burglary in New England Street, Brighton, on 14 May when the offender fled after being disturbed by the victim in the early hours of the morning.
Anyone with information about burglaries is asked to phone Sussex Police on 101, email 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk or call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
Anyone who knows a burglary is taking place is asked to call 999 immediately.
