TWO burglars who targeted homes in Halesowen and Rowley Regis to steal car keys have been jailed for a total of six years.

The pair took three cars over five days as part of their Black Country crime wave in April this year.

Raheem Khan and Ryan Reynolds stole a Mercedes, BMW 5 Series and Ford Transit during the early morning thefts.

However, they were caught by West Midlands Police after a member of the public became suspicious of their activity.

Officers were called to Bournes Hill, Halesowen, after the BMW had been parked up and although the thieves tried to flee the area in a taxi they were promptly intercepted.

A detailed police investigation into phone records helped connect them to the three crimes.

Khan, aged 19, from New John Street, Halesowen, and Reynolds, 20, of Meadow Road, Halesowen, admitted the burglaries.

They were sentenced to three years in custody each at Wolverhampton Crown Court last Wednesday (September 12).

A further 17-year-old boy was also charged with one count of burglary but failed to attend court for sentencing. He has since been arrested and remanded for sentencing at a later date.

DC John Marsh, from Force CID, said: “These burglars were striking almost every day but we were able to nip this in the bud to prevent further offences.

“We know how distressing it can be to fall victim of burglary but, with the help of the member of the public who called in with suspicions, these men are now behind bars to stop them targeting others again.

“To avoid ‘lock-snapping’ offences we would urge people to review the security of their homes and where possible invest in ‘anti-snap’ door locks. We also ask people to consider where items such as car keys are stored overnight.”