A man has been jailed after admitting a string of residential burglaries.

Bungling unemployed Romanian national Constantin-Tiberiu Gheorge, 39, of no fixed address, left DNA at every single one of the 31 addresses he burgled across London, Kent and Essex, including one in Ilford.

He was sentenced to eight years in jail at Snaresbrook Crown Court yesterday after pleading guilty to all offences on May 20.

According to police, traces of Gheorge's blood appeared at an address in Kingswood Road, Ilford, which was burgled on October 2 last year. 

He was arrested on April 15 in Barking town centre and taken into custody where his fingerprints also linked him to an additional 10 burglaries.

Detective Sergeant Brett Hagen from the north east detections team, described Gheorge as "one of the most prolific and yet one of the most careless burglars" he has ever encountered.

He added: "He has committed numerous offences across London, Kent and Essex with a blatant disregard for the victims and police alike.

"It is worth considering that for every one of these offences there was at least one victim who had to deal with the effects of becoming a victim of crime, and where burglary is concerned the lasting effects run far deeper than a loss of property."