Six prolific burglars have been jailed for a combined total of more than 54 years following a complex investigation into a crime spree that targeted dozens of homes across the south east of England.
Surrey Police’s Serious Organised Crime Unit led the investigation into 53 burglaries carried out across Surrey, Sussex, London, Thames Valley, Hertfordshire and Essex between November 2024 and March 2025.
In Surrey alone, homes were targeted in Windlesham, Weybridge, Epsom, Stanwell, Egham, Englefield Green, Bisley, Staines, Chertsey, Frimley and Tadworth.
Police said the group operated in an organised and calculated way, using stolen vehicles fitted with cloned number plates, deliberately leaving mobile phones behind or switched off, and attempting to remove forensic evidence using cleaning products in an effort to evade detection.
Unbeknown to the offenders, officers were already running a wide-ranging surveillance operation to identify those involved, track their movements and link them to multiple offences. The investigation made use of CCTV, automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) and drone technology.
The operation culminated in March when officers moved in and arrested members of the group, catching them in a stolen vehicle with stolen property.
At Kingston Crown Court on Tuesday 17 December, the six men were sentenced after previously pleading guilty to multiple offences of burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary.
Those jailed were:
- Felix McCann, 33, from Wembley, sentenced to 10 years and 10 months after admitting 16 offences of conspiracy to commit burglary
- Michael Purcell, 34, from Aylesbury, sentenced to eight years after admitting 10 offences
- Patrick Nolan, 35, from London, sentenced to 10 years and 10 months after admitting 19 offences
- George Price, 34, from St Helens, sentenced to 10 years and two months after admitting 21 offences
- Lawrence Connors, 32, from Hayes, sentenced to 11 years and 10 months after admitting 11 offences and breaching a criminal behaviour order
- Miles Doran, 36, from Pinner, sentenced to two years and eight months after admitting one burglary and one attempted burglary
Detective Chief Inspector Antony Leadbeatter described the offending as “burglary on an industrial scale”.
“These were organised criminals relentlessly targeting ordinary homes,” he said. “The work carried out by Surrey’s Serious Organised Crime Unit and supporting teams has been outstanding, leaving the offenders with no option but to plead guilty.
“Our message is clear – if you target Surrey, we will target you.”
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