TWO brothers who were members of a Nottingham-based gang which burgled shops across the East Midlands have been jailed.
Darren Winfield and his younger brother Ricki were involved in at least 14 smash-and-grab raids, which netted them a haul of £50,000-worth of cigarettes and cash.
The gang raided stores in Nuthall, Toton, and Ilkeston.
Darren Winfield, 28, and Ricki Winfield, 23, both of Amesbury Circus, Aspley, were jailed at Lincoln Crown Court yesterday.
They admitted conspiracy to commit burglary between January 9 and May 22.
Darren Winfield was jailed for three and a half years and Ricki Winfield for three years.
Jonathon Dee, prosecuting, said the gang hit shops and newsagents' stores across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire before the brothers were arrested following a third raid in quick succession on the Tesco supermarket in Market Rasen, Lincolnshire.
Mr Dee said the gang used stolen vehicles with false number plates to carry out raids in which they would hit stores at night, smashing their way in and scooping up cigarettes.
They got away with as much as £10,000-worth of cigarettes from some stores in minutes, he added.
Mr Dee said: "They were a group of up to seven burglars. They wore gloves and balaclavas. The raids were well carried out and well organised."
Recorder Gareth Evans said: "This was a professional operation."
A third man, Philip Gordon, 30, of Gautries Close, Top Valley, admitted a single burglary at the Tesco Market Rasen store on May 20.
He was jailed for 18 months.
Stephen Gosnell, in mitigation for Darren Winfield, said that he fully accepted his responsibility.
He said his client returned to crime after losing his job after the firm he was working for went into receivership.
Oliver Hunter, for Ricki Winfield, said he had taken over the family business from his father but found he could not earn enough to support his family.
Julia King, for Gordon, said he had a high number of convictions but had managed to stay out of trouble for seven years.
She said he spiralled into heavy drug use following the death of a close friend in November last year.