A serial burglar on a one-man crime spree stole a firefighter’s scooter and bank card from their station – then used it in a nearby shop.

Darren Rogers, of Sittingbourne, entered Sheerness Fire Station on Sunday 21 January, amid a series of break-ins in Whitstable and the Isle of Sheppey.

The 45-year-old admitted two counts of burglary, one of attempted burglary, fraud and handling stolen goods at Canterbury Crown Court earlier this year.

Rogers, formerly of Cavell Way, was jailed for three years at the same court on Friday 21 June.

East Kent CID investigated after a Whitstable resident saw Rogers approaching her home on doorbell footage on Friday 19 January this year.

She then saw him looking through her windows and confronted him, causing him to leave the area.

Rogers then entered Sheerness Fire Station on Sunday 21 January and stole a scooter and a bank card belonging to a firefighter. He later used the bank card at a nearby shop.

A further offence was then committed on Monday 22 January, when Rogers broke into a house in Minster-on-Sea through a kitchen window. He searched a bedroom before leaving after an alarm was activated.

Officers identified Rogers from a CCTV image and he was arrested that evening.

The stolen scooter and jewellery taken during another burglary in Whitstable were found at his home.

Detective Constable Matthew Burridge, Kent Police's investigating officer, said: 'Rogers is a persistent offender who committed these five offences in the space of just four days.

'I am pleased our investigation has seen him brought to justice, that stolen items have been returned to their owners and Rogers has been removed from the streets of Kent.

'The case also shows how useful doorbell and CCTV cameras can be in preventing offences and assisting investigations, and I would urge all residents to consider their own security measures.'