A man convicted of 48 burglaries including crimes in Farnham and Woking has been sentenced to five years in prison.

Miles Connors, 27, from Hillingdon, was wanted by Surrey Police for his role in a huge conspiracy to burgle but fled to Australia in 2018 on a fake passport.

But his inability to refrain from criminal activities meant he was apprehended by Australian police for burglary and rogue trading.

Connors was deported back to the UK where he was immediately arrested at Heathrow airport on charges of conspiracy to burgle.

He was convicted following a six-day trial at Guildford Crown Court and jailed for five years. The two other defendants in the UK case were sentenced seven years ago to a combined six years in prison.

PC Simon Laidlaw, from Surrey Police’s serious organised crime unit, said: “This has been a long running and complex case, and although the two other defendants were convicted and sentenced to prison back in 2018, we have now been able to finally arrest the last person involved in the conspiracy and bring him to justice.

“Even if you run to the other side of the world, we will eventually catch up with you, and Connors was arrested as soon as he touched down on UK soil. He will now spend five years in prison, and we are really pleased that this case has finally been brought to a close.”

The offences committed by Connors and the other defendants across the country include crimes in Farnham, Woking, Chobham, West Byfleet, Ash, Camberley, Addlestone, Egham, Ashtead, West End, Bicester, Hayes, Northampton, Iver Heath, St Albans, Chatham, Brentwood, Romford, High Wycombe, Burton-on-Trent, West Bridgford, Sutton and Copthorne.