A Dartford burglar who terrified a young girl in her bedroom during a break-in at a family home in Greenhithe has been jailed.

Brad Neville, 20, entered the girl's room and put his hand over her mouth to stifle her screams before fleeing the house in Marston Court shortly after 6am on January 2.

The girl's father woke to find the front door had been forced open, the lights were on, and there was a large holdall with stolen items outside.

A knife taken from the kitchen was found on the girl’s bed.

Detective Constable Steven Brown, of North Kent CID, said: “Neville’s actions, while awful, were compounded by his decision to terrify a young girl by sneaking into her room, a place where she should feel completely secure and comfortable.

“This experience will have undoubtedly caused her great distress and I hope this result will provide some comfort to herself and her family.”

Neville, of Wodehouse Road, was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court to three years and nine months in prison after pleading guilty to the offence.