POLICE have not ruled out a link between a criminal gang sentenced for a spate of burglaries in six Midlands counties, including two in Ledbury, and the town's infamous "burglary blip", which saw numerous local break-ins.

Four men have been jailed for carrying out 120 burglaries across six counties, including seventeen in Herefordshire.

Gytis Dambaokas, 30, Tomas Juospaitis, 31, Grazvydas Kasarauskas, 34 and Giedrius Batutis, 33, all of no fixed abode, were found guilty of one count of conspiracy to burgle 120 homes.

The four men had previously pleaded not guilty to the offences which took place between July and October last year.

Nine of the offences happened in Hereford, four in Leominster, two in Ross-on-Wye and two in Ledbury.

DC Laurence James said: "Two burglaries that the group have been charged with, from Ledbury, are two from August 2015 - which took place in Bank Crescent and Arrow View.

"There were several burglaries in Ledbury of a similar nature to those in Bank Crescent and Arrow View which this gang may have been responsible for; but without further evidence no other charges could be brought."

Between September 2014 and last autumn, more than 20 linked raids were carried out on properties in Colwall and Ledbury .

In January 2015, at a meeting in Ledbury's Market House, police revealed that Ledbury's "burglary blip" was unique in the West Mercia area, and that travelling criminals were probably to blame.

The four men sentenced for 120 burglaries, across the counties of Herefordshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire and also North Wales, appeared in Shrewsbury Crown Court last week .

The men were found to have conspired to target properties which had been left secure but vacant by home owners who were away on holiday or visiting friends or family.

They entered properties by force, often using a screwdriver to prise open locked doors and windows.

They then searched the homes and were found to have made off with an estimated value of more than £200,000 pounds worth of jewellery.

Detective Sergeant Andrew Chatting said: "We were able to build a clearer picture of the scale of the offences by working with colleagues in Central Motorway Police Group, regional road policing, our major investigation unit as well as neighbouring forces to build a case which has ultimately ensured these individuals are held accountable for their criminality.

"Our hard work was recognised by Judge James Tindal with particular praise given to DC Benjamin Docherty and DC Della Grice for their diligence and professionalism."

Dambaokas was sentenced to six years and six months, Juospaitis to eight years, Kasarauskas to 11 years and Batutis to ten years.