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Black Country gang took £200,000 haul in raids on firms

A gang of burglars escaped with a £200,000 haul in a series of raids – after planting covert cameras to capture staff entering alarm codes.

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The Black Country gang struck at six shops and other businesses across Warwickshire and the West Midlands, before two of them were caught after staff at a fishing tackle shop spotted the camera.

At Warwick Crown Court Matthew Wilkes and Aston White pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle commercial premises.

Wilkes, 25, of Griffiths Street, Tipton – who has already served nine months of a sentence imposed for a similar burglary in January – was jailed for 26 months.

But 24-year-old White of Helvellyn Way, West Bromwich, was given a two-year sentence suspended for two years and made subject to a 7pm to 5am curfew.

Among the gang's targets in July and August last year were shops in Alcester, Redditch, Atherstone, Bromsgrove, Lichfield, and Halesowen.

Prosecutor Andrew Wilkins pointed out Wilkes had entered his pleas on the basis that he only took part in the Alcester, Studley and Bromsgrove offences and handled a Land Rover taken in the Lichfield raid.

White accepted being involved in the Atherstone, Studley and Bromsgrove incidents.

Mr Wilkins said Wilkes was an electrician with experience as an alarm engineer, and had played 'a crucial role in this conspiracy'.

Altogether their hauls were worth around £200,000 – but Wilkes's barrister said he had been involved in about £70,000 of that, and White's barrister said the figure in his case was 'only £27,500'.

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