Four men from south-east London who sped across Bexley and Bromley wielding samurai swords in an hour-long burglary spree have been jailed for a total of 65 years.

Police were called to six aggravated burglaries after victims were "attacked, threatened and robbed" in their own homes on the morning of June 19, 2015,.

The four suspects were on two stolen mopeds and armed with samurai swords, knives and crowbars, when they forced their way into homes and stole property worth more than £1 million.

Deon Onyeneke, 21, and Kevin Barnett, 25, were arrested when police stopped a minicab in Downham at around 11am.

Police recovered around £630,000 of stolen property, two mopeds and a number of weapons.

Alfie Whitten, 27, was on the run for more than a month before he was caught and arrested on July 23 of last year in Essex.

Jason Murray-Pilgrim, 33, was already serving a sentence for an unrelated burglary when police identified him in February of this year.

Onyeneke and Barnett pleaded guilty to the offences at their first appearance at Croydon Crown Court on July 6.

Whitten denied all involvement in the offences despite the stolen motorcycles, weapons and stolen property being discovered at his home address on June 19 of last year.

He was charged and remanded in custody to attend Croydon Crown Court and subsequently pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Murray-Pilgrim also denied all involvement in the offences.

They continued to deny the offences throughout the trial which started on July 4.

They were found guilty of all charges by unanimous verdict on Friday, July 15.

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Detective Sergeant Gary Head, from Bromley CID, said: "This was an extremely vicious and violent series of burglaries, where the heavily armed suspects attacked, threatened and robbed the victims in their own homes.

"The speed of officers responding to the burglaries, coupled with the expertise of those involved in the investigation, ensured that all those responsible were apprehended and put before the courts.

"The sentences imposed clearly reflect the extremely serious nature of the offences and send out a message to those involved in this type of criminality that you will be arrested and held to account for your actions."

The men were sentenced on Friday, September 9 at Croydon Crown Court.

Deon Onyeneke, 21, of Windlass Place, Lewisham, was jailed for 14 years, after pleading guilty to two counts of aggravated burglary.

Kevin Barnett, 25, of Woolstone Road, Forest Hill, was jailed for 14 years, after pleading guilty to two counts of aggravated burglary.

Alfie Whitten, 27, of Lamerock Road, Downham, was jailed for 19 years, after being found guilty of two counts of aggravated burglary.

Jason Murray-Pilgrim, 33, of no fixed address, was jailed for 18 years, after being found guilty of two counts of aggravated burglary.

The men robbed homes in Barton Road, Sidcup; St Georges Road, Bromley; Greenways, Beckenham; Hayes Way, Beckenham; Edward Road, Bromley and Camden Park Road, Chislehurst.