NINE men have received jail sentences for car thefts across the Midlands including in Bromsgrove.

The men appeared at Worcester Crown Court and were handed the sentences on December 22.

The thefts and attempted thefts occurred over a 13 month period, between March 2012 to April 2013.

There were 81 offences with 25 of them in West Mercia, including Bromsgrove, Worcester and Kidderminster.

The sentences included Leslie Taylor, 33, of Rosewood Court in Bilston, who received four years, and Rocky Butler, 35, of Fullwood Crescent in Dudley, who was sentenced to five years four months.

Yawar Jaffari, 42, of Carlton Road in London was jailed for three years nine months, James Bailey, 36, of Edison Road in Walsall received five years four months, while James Taylor, 26, of Harden Close in Walsall was given a sentence of two years eight months.

Richard Edwards, 29, of Chapel Street in Brierley Hill, Terence Gould, 46, of Botany Road, Walsall, and Colin Brookes, 30, of Hunter Crescent in Walsall, all received two years.

Paul Kendall, 42, of Irvine Road in Walsall was sentenced for one year four months.

All nine also had to pay a £120 victim surcharge.

Various makes of vehicles were stolen including Toyota Hilux, Toyota Hiace, Toyota Landcruiser and Vauxhall Brava.

The stolen vehicles were dismantled with the engines and gear boxes being exported to the United Arab Emirates, whilst the remainder of the chassis and shells were weighed in at scrap yards.

Luke Moore, 26, of Leys Crescent in Brierley Hill and Gary Winter, 31, of Goscote Place in Walsall had previously been convicted and sentenced for their part in the offending. Moore received a suspended sentence and Winter was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison.

DC Karl High said: “This was a lengthy and complex investigation into a large group of offenders, for a large number of offences across many policing areas.

"A number of policing techniques were deployed to identify and prosecute the persons responsible. It is clear that this was organised criminality for commercial gain.

"Many of the victims have lost their vehicles including tools used in the course of their trades and professions, preventing them from working and further compounding the offences.

"Today’s sentencing should serve as a warning that vehicle crime will not be tolerated.”