A MAN has been sent to prison for eight years after being found guilty of committing dozens of burglaries in Hampshire and West Sussex.

Albert Ian James, of Mill Road Crescent, Donnington, in Chichester, was found guilty by a jury at Portsmouth Crown Court on June 20 of committing 47 burglaries and four attempted burglaries.

The 58-year-old was sentenced today following an investigation into a series of burglaries between October and December 2014, when items including high value jewellery and cash were taken from homes.

The jury took four-and-a-half hours to reach its unanimous verdict.

The judge described James' offences as "a campaign of highly professional burglaries".

Investigating officer detective sergeant Simon Clacey, who oversaw the entire investigation, said: "We faced many challenges in identifying James as the suspect responsible for the burglaries. Ultimately it was the culmination of circumstantial evidence which convicted James of the offences."

He commended the "dedication to the investigation" of the officers involved, adding: "This was a very challenging investigation due to lack of forensic and direct evidence, the number of, and geographic distance between the offences. However today's result shows how seriously the courts take burglaries like these, making this a very rewarding investigation to have worked on, as I'm confident James' victims will be satisfied with the sentence he has been given."