A man who was part of a gang who committed burglaries across the country has been jailed for offences he committed in Cambridgeshire.

Billy Butler, 22, of no fixed abode, used a 4x4 to ram a woman's car out of the way after burgling her home and two months earlier, on September 7, 2018, he stole a car from outside a shop on West Street, Helpston.

During the first incident, the victim had parked outside a shop in West Street after giving his son a driving lesson. The pair headed into the store and accidentally left the keys in the ignition. They were alerted by the sound of screeching tyres outside and looked out to see their car, a Toyota Aygo, being driven away. It was later found abandoned.

After a forensic examination, Butler's fingerprints were discovered on a CD case in the car.

On November 5, a woman returned to her home in Barham, to find a 4x4 she didn't recognise parked on her driveway. When she challenged a man outside the property, he told her to get out of the way, jumped into the 4x4 and rammed her car out of the way, causing significant damage, before speeding off.

The victim discovered cash belonging to her children, handbags and aftershave had all been taken from her home.

Scenes of crime officers (SOCO) attended and recovered a fingerprint from a piece of post in the house and DNA from a screwdriver left on a bed, both of which matched Butler.

Butler pleaded guilty to burglary, criminal damage and theft.

On November 19, at Cambridge Crown Court, Butler was jailed for two years and four months.

Four other gang members have also been sentenced at courts across the country. The collective sentence for the whole group is 19 years and six months.

DC Suzanne Pickard said: "The brazen way in which Butler carried out these crimes just shows his disregard for the victims - nobody was going to get in the way of his own personal gains.

"Burglary is a priority area for the force and we will do all we can to bring those responsible to justice."

For online burglary prevention advice visit: www.cambs.police.uk/A-Z/Burglary.

Anyone with information about burglary should call police on 101 or visit www.cambs.police.uk/report Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111 or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org.