A motor thief who committed a string of thefts across Brent and Harrow has been jailed.

David Berry, aged 39 of Ashdon Road, Harlesden, went on an eight-month spree between April and November 2020, as he used his recovery vehicle to steal 11 other vehicles parked on the street.

The court heard that he then took the stolen motors to a scrapyard in Buckinghamshire and sold them using a scrap metal licence.

Berry targeted cars that were parked in the streets of Harrow and Brent for a while, or in some cases reported as SORN - statutory off road notification – to the DVLA.

A joint investigation was launched by Wembley Emergency Response teams, and Berry was identified as a suspect.

He was then arrested on March 8, but answered no comment to all questions except for when he was provided with a CCTV image of the van.

He was asked if it was his vehicle to which he replied “yes, that’s my van”.

Berry also answered when he was shown an image of a driving licence provided by the scrapyard. When asked if that was his licence he replied “yeah, it looks like it”.

He was charged on March 9 and pleaded guilty to 11 counts of stealing motor vehicles.

He was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment at Wood Green Crown Court on April 20.

Police Sergeant Rob Clarke, from Wembley Emergency Response Team D, said: “The impact of Berry’s offending should not be understated. Many of the vehicles he stole and sold for scrap were of sentimental value to their owners.

“Local officers are committed to preventing and detecting crime that affects the community and this sentencing sends out the right message to would-be offenders that they will be caught and convicted.”