A serial burglar from Dartford has been jailed after breaking in and robbing several homes, causing "a significant amount of distress to numerous victims."

Mark Robertson managed to steal a whole host of items during his streak of burglaries in May 2019, including two cars, a luxury watch, bank cards and laptops.

The 44-year-old was convicted after breaking into four different homes in Dartford, leaving behind a trail of evidence pinning him to each crime.

Robertson, of no fixed address, was jailed for four years at Woolwich Crown Court on Friday, June 5.

He had previously admitted to four counts of burglary, two counts of fraud by false representation and two unrelated offences.

Detective Constable Dan Bister, Kent Police’s investigating officer said he was pleased Robertson was no longer able to target innocent members of the public.

"In a short period of time Robertson caused a significant amount of distress to numerous victims.

"Alongside stealing items worth thousands of pounds, he caused a considerable amount of damage to property."

He added: "Anyone travelling into Kent with aspirations to commit crime should be aware that we have strong relationships with neighbouring police forces and living outside of the county will not prevent them from being identified and brought to justice."

Robertson's first offence came in the early hours of May 11, 2019, after he broke into two homes in Ashen Drive and a third on Princes Road.

In the process, he went on to steal a luxury watch, a tablet computer, a laptop bag, a car, foreign currency and a purse from two of the three addresses.

At the third address, he was thwarted by a second door and when he tried to break-in through the window the victim saw his silhouette through a frosted window.

This caused him to flee, but the burglar also left behind the laptop bag he had stolen from the first burglary.

A fourth burglary took place at a property in The Homestead on May 16, when the offender stole a car, four tablet computers and a handbag.

Later the same morning, CCTV from a Sidcup service station captured Robertson travelling to the location in the vicitm’s car and attempting to make a fraudulent purchase with two bank cards that were in the vicitm’s handbag.

A Metropolitan Police officer identified Robertson from the CCTV footage and he was detained by the force several days later.

A Kent Police crime scene investigator also went on to recover Robertson’s DNA on a discarded piece of wood he left behind at the first address he targeted in Ashen Drive. CCTV also recorded him using a bank card belonging to the Princes Road victim at an ATM in Charlton.