A sophisticated burglary gang from London has been handed prison sentences totalling more than 57 years for a relentless campaign of break-ins across the South East of England.
Industrial-Scale Crime Spree Across Counties
The organised criminals, hailing from areas including Wembley, Hayes, and Pinner, targeted homes across London, Surrey, Sussex, Thames Valley, Hertfordshire, and Essex. Their crime wave took place between November 2024 and March 2025.
In an attempt to evade capture, the gang employed various tactics. They used stolen cars with cloned number plates, left their mobile phones behind or switched them off, and even tried to use cleaning sprays to remove DNA evidence from scenes.
High-Tech Police Operation Brings Them Down
Despite their efforts, a major investigation led by Surrey Police's Serious Organised Crime team was already tracking them. Officers utilised drones, CCTV, and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology to build their case.
The breakthrough came in March 2025, when police intercepted some gang members in a stolen vehicle, catching them red-handed with stolen property.
Sentencing at Kingston Crown Court
Following a series of guilty pleas, the gang was sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on Wednesday, 17 December 2025. The individual sentences ranged from under three years to nearly twelve years.
Detective Chief Inspector Antony Leadbeatter described the operation as "burglary on an industrial scale". He stated: "This was organised criminality targeting ordinary homes and relentless in their offending... Our message to burglars is clear – target Surrey and we will target you."
The convicted gang members are:
- Lawrence Connors, 32, from Hayes: Pleaded guilty to 11 offences of conspiracy to commit burglary and breached a criminal behaviour order. He received the longest sentence of 11 years and 10 months.
- Patrick Nolan, 35, from London: Pleaded guilty to 19 offences and was sentenced to 10 years and 10 months.
- George Price, 34, from St Helen’s: Pleaded guilty to 21 offences and was sentenced to 10 years and two months.
- Felix McCann: Received a sentence of 10 years and 10 months.
- Michael Purcell: Was handed an eight-year sentence.
- Miles Doran, 36, from Pinner: Pleaded guilty to one burglary and one attempted burglary. He received two years and eight months.
The combined sentence marks a significant victory for police forces who collaborated to end the gang's cross-county crime spree.
