Two brothers have been jailed for a total of 11 years after pleading guilty to involvement in more than 60 burglaries.

Westley Linnen, 38, and Warren Linnen, 35, whose last known address was in Beckton, east London, appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court this morning (June 24) where they were convicted after admitting conspiracy to burgle.

The duo, who were arrested by Essex Police in March 2015 following an appeal to trace them, were initially charged with burglary and drugs offences but later charged with conspiracy after all the offences were brought together in to one case.

The conspiracy charge includes 60 burglaries in pubs across Buckhurst Hill and other locations in Essex, Surrey, Sussex, Kent, Thames Valley, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and London, where cash totalling £19,700 and £1,000 worth of other items including safe boxes, handbags and small electrical items were stolen.

The court heard how the offences were committed over six weeks while both brothers were on licence having been released from prison a few days before their burglary spree began.

The Linnen brothers were both sentenced to five and a half years in prison each which will be served consecutively to the remainder of their previous sentences, which were also for burglary.

Dc Kirsty Swan, who led the multi-force prosecution, said: "These brothers targeted licenced premises and gained access to private living areas or staff rooms to steal. 

"It was only after arresting them having been wanted for burglaries across Essex and Hertfordshire that I began to fully uncover the number of crimes they had committed.

"This case has involved liaising with officers from seven other forces to pull together all our work to make a strong case which meant the Linnen brothers had no choice but to admit their guilt when faced with the weight of the evidence compiled against them.”