A vehicle 'ringing' gang have been jailed after handling stolen vehicles and selling them on in a criminal operation worth £750,000.

The Metropolitan Police's organised vehicle crime unit uncovered the crimes when a stolen Ford Transit was traced to an industrial estate in Swanley in July 2015.

When officers arrived, they found 34 stolen vans that were in the process of either being stripped for parts, or identification numbers and markings being swapped for vehicles that weren’t shown as stolen.

Two men, Danny Sheehy, 34, and Leslie Daniels, 28, were arrested by officers at the scene, but a third man, Ricky Mantell, 31, managed to escape.

Officers were led to another industrial unit in Rettendon in Essex in November 2015, where they arrested another two men, Lee Bridge, 39, and Danny Orgles, 21, after a further eight stolen Transit vans were discovered.

The four continued to receive and dismantle stolen vans while they were on bail until December 2015, when officers raided the site again and found another 13 stolen vehicles.

Mantell was arrested in the process.

The gang had handled 74 stolen vehicles - 62 of which were Ford Transits - with a total value of £789,000.

The men were charged in December 2015 with conspiracy to handle stolen vehicles and pleaded guilty at the Inner London Crown Court on Friday, November 25.

Detective inspector Caroline Clooney, of the Met’s Organised Vehicle Crime Unit, said: "This was a well-organised gang of criminals who were handling stolen Ford Transit vans to break up for parts or to sell on to innocent purchasers.

"Their activity fuelled the theft of Transit vans across the south-east London and Kent area.

"The impact on the victims was significant as they relied on their vehicle for their livelihood, so this sentence is good news for van owners across the region."

Danny Sheehy, 34, of Manor Road in Sidcup, was jailed for four-and-a-half years.

Ricky Mantell, 31, of Overton Road in Abbey Wood, was jailed for three years.

Lee Bridge, 39, of Randlesdown Road in Bellingham, was sentenced to two-and-a-half-year's imprisonment.

Danny Orgles, 21, of Randlesdown Road, Bellingham was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment suspended for 18 months.

Leslie Daniels, 28, of Commonwealth Way, Abbey Wood, was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment suspended for 12 months.