A crook who posed as a golfing fan whilst carrying out burglaries at golf clubs the length and breadth of Britain has been told by top judges that his four and a half year jail term was not a day too long.

Daniel Simon Lloyd, 44, "recruited" his younger cousin, Joe McCaughey, 26, to take part in a 16-month crime spree in 2008 and 2009.

The pair - kitted out as players - raided locker rooms at clubs including one at Ogbourne, near Ogbourne St George, and another at Warminster while kitted out as players, netting a six-figure haul.

Lloyd, of Keston, Kent, was jailed for four and a half years at Birmingham Crown Court on March 5, having been convicted of burglary and conspiracy to burgle.

Lawyers for Lloyd asked Lord Justice Elias, Mrs Justice Cox and Mr Justice Wilkie, at London's Criminal Appeal Court, to reduce his term yesterday, arguing it was "too tough."

The court heard that the pair posed as golfers and accessed changing rooms to steal equipment, shoes and clothing.

They arrived at clubs in people carrier vehicles with false plates and moved around clubhouses dressed in golf attire, chatting to other golfers and duping members of staff.

The pair stole equipment from hundreds of golfers which they disposed of in the UK and overseas, and featured in a BBC Crimewatch appeal in 2010.

Police said they believed Lloyd and McCaughey could have raided up to a 1,000 lockers and stolen equipment worth more than £750,000.

Lawyers for Lloyd argued that his sentence had been "not just tough, but too tough" claiming that the term he was handed was "manifestly excessive."

But Lord Justice Elias said that Lloyd deserved his sentence as he was "the main offender" and had "recruited" his younger relative into the scheme.

The judge said it was also an important aggravating factor that Lloyd had a previous conviction for thefts carried out in very similar circumstances to the golf club raids.

"These burglaries involved nerve and determination. The offences were nationwide," said the judge.

"We are not persuaded that this sentence was manifestly excessive. It was tough but it was not too tough", he added, dismissing the appeal.

Ogbourne Golf Club, in Marlborough, was thought to be the pair's first target on May 15, 2006, with almost £1,500 worth of equipment stolen.

West Wilshire Golf Club, in Warminster, was hit on November 3, 2008, and £10,000 worth of equipment was stolen.