Spencer damaged buildings in seven boroughs, including H&F

A burglar who caused more than £13,000 of damage to church buildings in seven boroughs, including Hammersmith and Fulham, has been jailed for six years.

David Spencer, 47 of no fixed address was sentenced for 13 burglaries at Kingston Crown Court on Monday, 12 October.

He pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing at the same court.

Spencer began his campaign of burglary in June 2014 and continued throughout the summer. Following an appeal by Richmond borough police, Spencer was arrested on 12 July in Hammersmith.

He was initially charged with six burglaries. However, further investigation by officers from Richmond CID resulted in Spencer being charged with a total of 13 offences across seven boroughs - Richmond, Kingston, Brent, Ealing, Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea and Hammersmith and Fulham. He also committed one church burglary in Cardiff.

Detective Constable Kieran Fenech from Richmond upon Thames CID, said: "David Spencer was responsible for a campaign of burglary throughout west London and beyond last summer.

"He was responsible for the desecration of numerous church buildings causing more than £13,000 damage.

"This type of crime is a blight to our communities. Spencer has shown no remorse to the victims and his sentence shows the severity of his offending."