Members of a gang who stole £158,000 of goods from parked lorries across the South East have been sentenced to more than 35 years in prison between them.

Newham Recorder: Alfie Turner, Bradley Wilkins and Daniel HessionAlfie Turner, Bradley Wilkins and Daniel Hession (Image: Kent Police)

Eleven men, including eight from Newham, were sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court today for conspiracy to steal items such as motorcycles, clothes and jam.

The court was told how the gang preyed on parked lorries in Essex and Kent between July and October 2014 in mostly overnight raids.

They slashed the side curtains of the lorries before emptying their contents into one of six vehicles, five of which were reported stolen and found to be using false number plates.

Det Insp Matthew Scott of Kent Police said: “The offenders in this case targeted lorries at random and stole whatever they came across.

Newham Recorder: Ryan Campion, Stephen Fry and Terrence DonnellyRyan Campion, Stephen Fry and Terrence Donnelly (Image: Kent Police)

“They got away with items ranging from off-road motorcycles to clothes and jam to sets of travel Cluedo. In total, the items stolen had a combined estimated value of £158,000.

“My officers were able to put together a complex and compelling case by using clues the offenders left us along the way.”

In total the offenders received 28 years and nine months between them for conspiracy to steal, but were also sentenced for outstanding and unrelated offences to a further six years and ten months between them.

Among those sentenced was Kane Hill, 24, of Appleby Road in Canning Town, who pleaded not guilty but was given four years imprisonment.

Also from Newham were Terence Donnelly, 37, of Birch Close in Canning Town, who was given one year and nine months in prison and Stephen Fry, 27, of Eastbourne Road in Stratford.

Fry was sentenced to 34 months imprisonment for conspiracy to steal and received an 18-month prison sentence, to be served consecutively, for unrelated charges of supplying drugs and breaching a drug referral order. He also received a four month concurrent sentence for an unrelated charge of escaping from lawful custody.

Daniel Hession, 31, of Denny Close in East Ham (18 months’ imprisonment), Dean Kingston, 32, of Ozolins Way in Canning Town (three years’ imprisonment), Alfie Turner, 26, of Bond Street in Stratford (three years and four months in jail for conspiracy to steal alongside one, consecutively, for an unrelated assault) and Bradley Wilkins, 35, of Hayday Road in Canning Town (three years and four months for conspiracy to steal and another one year and four months, consecutively, for an unrelated assault) were also sentenced.

Det Insp Scott also encouraged lorry drivers to be “vigilant” and to report any suspicious behaviour to the police on 101 or 999.

He added that police were able to catch the criminals by using mobile phone data and automatic number plate recognition cameras.