A BURGLAR who targeted houses in the Ledbury area last summer has been sent to jail for six years.

Paul Mainwood, aged 38, from Wednesbury, was found guilty of the two house burglaries after a three day trial at Hereford Crown Court.

He had denied both the burglary of a house in Bank Crescent and the second burglary in Horse Road, Wellington Heath on June 9.

Mainwood stole jewellery from both addresses, but police say he is not being connected with a wider spate of burglaries where numerous houses were targeted and jewellery was taken.

During the so-called Ledbury "burglary blip", there were 15 house burglaries in Ledbury alone, over the autumn of 2014 and the winter of 2015.

But detective constable Laurence James of Herefordshire CID said: "He is not connected with the main run in Ledbury as he had only recently been released from prison on licence when the two offences took place on the June 9, 2016."

Other criminals have been convicted of recent burglaries in Ledbury

Last year, four men were jailed for carrying out 120 burglaries across six counties, including two in Ledbury, in Bank Crescent and Arrow View.

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, 2015.

After their trial, DC James said: "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."

Town councillor Annette Crowe, who organises regular PACT meetings for Ledbury, said she was "disappointed" to hear Mainwood had committed the burglaries while out on licence.

She said: "To be still out on licence, I think, ought to have put him off. Obviously, this sort of justice system does not work.

"What can I say? It's horrible that ordinary people have to bear the brunt of this, by becoming victims of crime."

She added: "It just goes to show that even a small place like Ledbury, where we are relatively safe, can be targeted by people from outside the area."