An ex-Carillion worker who turned to burglary after losing his job has been jailed for nearly four years.

Simon Forty, 32, was sentenced on Friday for a string of raids on homes in Ramsgate and Broadstairs earlier this year.

The court heard how Forty, a father-of-two, developed a 'serious and expensive' cocaine habit while working long hours for the contractor, which collapsed in January.

His unemployment led to him racking up drug debts of £4,500, which in turn resulted in his embarking on three burglaries on April 9, 14 and 15.

In the first, he stole a wedding ring, a locket containing pictures of the victim's grandparents, a Panasonic camera, cash and Star Wars figurines from a home in London Road, Ramsgate, with a total value of around £6,000.

Prosecutors told how in his search for items of value, he entered the property by smashing a glass panel in the back door, leaving everything in the bedroom "turned upside down" and "almost every item opened or disturbed".

His car registration plate was photographed by a neighbour as he left a bungalow in Ramsgate Road, Broadstairs, on April 14, having broken a glass window and leaving an eight-inch hole.

The owner arrived home to find police outside their home with £350 worth of damage.

"The people who really suffer massively are people who are victims of burglary..." - Judge James O'Mahony

In the third burglary, in Spratling Street, Ramsgate, he smashed the glass door of a conservatory, although nothing was taken from inside the house.

Calling the spree a "mini-campaign of burglary over six days", Judge James O'Mahony said the value of the items stolen was undoubtedly "significant".

He continued: "It's been explained to me that you have suffered massively.

"The people who really suffer massively are people who are victims of burglary."

A defence lawyer explained how Forty had also struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety since the death of a stillborn son nine years ago.

He had recently given up drugs and begun to attend support sessions with Turning Point in Margate, and found new work as a delivery driver.

Forty was sentenced for 45 months imprisonment for the first offence and will serve concurrent sentences for the second and third.