Gang carried out more than 40 burglaries in south London

A gang of men who carried out at least 40 burglaries in south London have been sentenced.

The six men, and one 17-year-old who cannot be indentified for legal reasons, broke into homes at night stealing handbags and car keys. They used stolen vehicles to move from house to house, swapping stolen number plates between the vehicles to avoid being tracked.

Between August and November of last year they broke into more than 40 homes in wealthy areas of south London, usually while the residents were asleep upstairs.

They were tracked down when one of the men appeared at Wimbledon Police Station in relation to another offence, and officers found a car taken in a burglary nearby, with the 17-year-old waiting in it.

Kofi Yeboah, 24, from Croydon, Jayden Jones-McGilvray, 19, from Richmond, Brandon Lee Smith, 18, from New Addington, Timothy Forder, 19, from Morden, and Joe Louis Murphy, 22, from Croydon, received sentences of between 19 months and six years for burglary and conspiracy to steal a motor vehicle.

Louis Sawyer, 24, from Wimbledon, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply Class B drugs and received a 14 month suspended sentence.

A 17-year-old from Wimbledon received a twelve month referral order.