A FINGERPRINT on a stolen car led to a Dartford burglar being jailed for almost two years.

William Hickey, of Dunlop Close, forced his way through the front door of a house in Salmon Road as the family slept and stole a handbag which contained a purse with about £100 cash and a selection of credit cards.

The 30-year-old also picked up some car keys and stole a silver Vauxhall Zafira parked in the driveway.

When one of the victims awoke on the morning of September 3 she noticed her front door was wide open and her car missing, and later learned various attempts had been made on her credit card at shops in Thamesmead.

After she contacted police, officers scoured CCTV footage which revealed a man walking away from the property at about 1.45am with a handbag, while automatic number plate recognition cameras were activated about half an hour later in Dartford.

Four days later, the stolen car was found in Battery Road in Thamesmead, close to where the credit cards had been tried on the morning of the burglary.

Forensic specialists carried out tests on the vehicle and found a fingerprint matching Hickey’s on the driver’s door. He was later arrested on suspicion of burglary.

Hickey admitted burglary, theft and two counts of fraud, and was jailed for 21 months November 28 at Maidstone Crown Court.

Detective Constable Bill Looker, of Kent Police, who was an investigating officer in the case, said: “Hickey cared little for the impact his actions had on the family who were asleep upstairs when he broke into their home in the early hours of the morning.

“We found the stolen car, forensic specialists at Kent Police were able to extract the one vital piece of evidence that told us Hickey was responsible for these offences.

“Burglary is such an intrusive crime and I’ve no doubt the family would have suffered sleepless nights after having gone through the ordeal that he put them through.”

For more information on security tips, visit kent.police.uk/advice/home/detbur.html