A burglar named Ibrar Tariq, 28, from Longton, has been jailed for four-and-a-half years. He pinched a white Mercedes and a black BMW after breaking into houses in Dresden and Hanford and stealing the car keys.

Tariq stole a white Mercedes and a black BMW having entered addresses in Dresden and Hanford, as well as car keys belonging to both cars.

The 28-year-old was sentenced at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on 7 March for two counts

of burglary – no violence and two counts of theft. As part of his sentencing, he was also ordered to pay a surcharge of £228.

The 28-year-old, of Chaplin Road, Longton, pleaded guilty to two charges of burglary and two counts of theft. He was sentenced at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court following the break-ins in September and October last year.

Staffordshire Police have welcomed the sentence.

Following the case, Detective Constable Lorraine Butler said: “Tariq’s offending was causing a large amount of disruption within the local community and I’m happy he’s now serving justice. I hope this serves as a reminder that those who seek to steal in Staffordshire will be proactively targeted and brought before the courts.”