A BOGUS TV engineer has been sentenced to 16 months in prison for a series of burglaries in Bromley borough.

John Hillman, of Hazel Walk, Bromley was sentenced at Croydon Crown Court on Tuesday (December 15) after pleading guilty to four charges of burglary on November 17.

The 36-year-old had also asked for 14 offences to be taken into consideration.

Hillman was ordered to serve 16 months for each of the four burglaries to which he pleaded guilty.

The sentences will be served concurrently.

The court heard that unemployed Hillman conned his way into people’s homes dressed as a Virgin Media engineer.

While inside he stole set top boxes under the guise of taking them away to be repaired or replaced.

Victims had the wires cut to their main cable junction box, causing a loss of service, prior to the bogus engineer calling unannounced at the property, the court heard.

Hillman, who used to work as a sub-contractor for Virgin Media, was arrested at his home on August 11.

He pleaded guilty to two offences in Leesons Hill and Marlings Park Avenue in Chislehurst on February 6.

And to two burglaries in Crest View Drive, Petts Wood on March 8.

Virgin Media’s head of fraud and security Malcolm Davies said: "All service technicians from all companies should carry some form of identity, and all responsible companies would be happy to confirm the authenticity of a visitor to protect their customers".