A man has been jailed for 16 weeks after he caused "a great deal of frustration" in a Wiltshire village.

Lee Allen, 32, of Station Road, Swindon, appeared at Swindon Magistrates Court this morning (December 23) and admitted to breaking into a number of cars in Ogbourne St George, north of Marlborough.

He pleaded guilty to five counts of theft from a motor vehicle and five counts of motor vehicle interference.

Chairman of the bench Alison Auvray labelled Allen’s record for dishonesty “appalling” and he was also ordered to pay an £87 victim surcharge.

The offences had taken place in the early hours of 28 November. Allen was identified after a local police officer was able to recognise his face on CCTV footage captured from the scene.

PC Alanna Wakeford, from the neighbourhood policing team in Marlborough, said: “The items stolen from the vehicles, such as sunglasses and CDs, were of relatively low financial value.

“However, this spate of incidents caused a great deal of frustration and inconvenience for the numerous victims, and I am pleased to see this sentence being passed today.”