FOUR men have appeared in court alleged to have been part of a criminal gang that stole more than £30,000 worth of property in a burglary spree spanning nine counties - including many raids in quiet residential areas in Worcester, Malvern and Evesham.

It is claimed there were more than 100 burglaries during a 12-week period between July and October last year.

Grazvydas Kasarauskas, 34, Giedrius Batutis, 33, Tomas Juospaitis, 31 and Gytis Dambauskas, 30, all Lithuanian nationals, deny a charge of conspiring to commit burglary.

On Thursday a jury at Shrewsbury Crown Court heard the thieves targeted the homes of the retired, bungalows in a quiet residential areas and often properties where the occupants were away on holiday.

The gang selected houses that were empty and where the curtains were closed and took iPads, laptops and similar portable objects, along with jewellery.

"These were professionals, only after specific, high value, items,” said Mary Loram, prosecuting.

She said all the burglaries were committed by an 'organised and professional gang' and claimed the defendants were all part of it.

“They may not have been the only ones but each of them played a part," she said. "They may not have been present at each and every burglary, but that does not matter. They were part of a team and there was a conspiracy to burgle."

The court heard there were burglaries in the Worcester area at Keilder Rise, Osprey Close, Cormorant Rise, Bevere Drive, Bevere Close Grange Avenue, Colin Road, four in Northwick Road, Launceston Place, Ludlow Avenue and at Knapp Lane and Arrow View in Ledbury.

Burglars also struck in Alexandra Road and Oakfield Road in Malvern, at Hill View Gardens, William Tennant Way and Ham View in Upton, at Andrews Drive and Blackberry Way in Evesham and at Nuffield Drive in Droitwich

Dozens more raids were reported in Shrewsbury, Bridgnorth, Ludlow and Oswestry and in areas of Powys, North Wales, Cheshire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire.

The court heard the defendants were arrested after being linked to at least four cars which were tracked on CCTV and connected to the scenes by mobile phone analysis, DNA evidence and footprints.

Detective Constable Ben Docherty said cameras across the region had recorded the movements of two Vauxhall Astras, a Ford Focus and a Toyota Auris on journeys between many of the scenes of the burglaries and the Washwood Heath area of Birmingham.

Later officers discovered the cars were insured on fraudulent trade policies on which the details of the cars had been added and removed on several occasions during the time of the alleged conspiracy.

It is believed the burglars spent several hours in each location to target the empty properties and usually gained entry by breaking windows.

The trial continues.