A man has been ordered to pay back £22,000 from a prolific burglary spree.

Jason Hawkins, 30, of Shurdington Road, Cheltenham, was part of a gang responsible for 42 burglaries across Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and Berkshire from August 2019 to February 2020, with Witney and Bourton-on-the-Water among the towns and villages hit by the gang.

Prosecutor Robin Shellard informed Gloucester Crown Court that Hawkins had accepted his share of the stolen proceeds amounted to £44,394.19.

A sum of £22,000 was seized from him upon arrest and is now to be forfeited under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Mr Shellard further explained, "The gang of men worked together at different times and were involved in at least 42 burglaries in Gloucestershire and the Thames Valley police area between August 2019 and February 2020."

Judge Keith Cutler instructed that the confiscated money be transferred.

Two years ago, Hawkins was sentenced to 13 months in prison after admitting to transferring criminal property.

On December 8 2021 the gang were all sentenced at Bristol Crown Court by Judge Michael Cullum, who heard how the gang had carried out burglaries of homes, shops and other business premises, often targeting expensive vehicles.

Mr Shellard's earlier statement said: "The investigation revealed that the gang were involved in the theft of high powered cars following a burglary of the targeted homes and the subsequent theft of the keys from the property.

“Additionally, on one occasion, an innocent man was assaulted after trying to intervene during one commercial burglary."

He continued: "Other items stolen during the burglaries included jewellery and high value watches, which were later sold on from the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham."

Mr Shellard's statement revealed that the estimated collective cost of the burglaries total £616,650, with the loss of items costing £508,000 and property damage amounting to £107,000,