Woking man jailed for shed break-ins

A "PROLIFIC" burglar from Woking has been jailed for a year after pleading guilty to a string of shed break-ins in the county.

James Akehurst, 52, of Sythwood, admitted ten counts of burglary and asked for two other offences to be taken into consideration when he appeared for sentence at Guildford Crown Court on Friday.

The burglaries involved the theft of thousands of pounds worth of garden equipment and took place between March and December last year.

The offences included shed breaks in Peaslake, Horsell, Betchworth, Sussex and a break-in at a garage at a house in Reigate. 

Akehurst was arrested in Kent on December 12 when police stopped a BMW car he was driving in. Inside, officers found frozen meat and alcohol that had been stolen in the Reigate burglary.

He was also disqualified from driving for 18 months and the court ordered the forfeiture of two vehicles.

Detective Sergeant Ian Paley said: "Akehurst was a prolific offender whose crimes spanned a wide area across Woking, Guildford and the Mole Valley."