A prolific burglar who caused more than £13,000 of damage to church buildings across west London has been jailed for six years, according to police.

David Spencer struck 13 times in a one-year period which saw him target churches in Ealing , Hammersmith & Fulham , Brent , Kensington & Chelsea , Westminster, Richmond and Kingston.

The 47-year-old, of no fixed abode, had pleaded guilty to burglary charges at an earlier hearing at Kingston Crown Court and was sentenced on Monday (October 12), police said.

He began his burglary campaign in June 2014 and continued throughout the summer, police said. Following an appeal by Richmond police, Spencer was arrested on July 12 in Hammersmith .

He was initially charged with six burglaries, but further investigation by officers from Richmond CID resulted in Spencer being charged with a total of 13 offences across the seven boroughs. He also burgled a church in Cardiff, the Met added.

Detective Constable Kieran Fenech, from Richmond CID, said: “David Spencer was responsible for a campaign of burglary throughout west London and beyond last summer.

“He was responsible for the desecration of numerous church buildings causing more than £13,000 damage.

“This type of crime is a blight to our communities. Spencer has shown no remorse to the victims and his sentence shows the severity of his offending.”