Burglar jailed for targeting South Yorkshire and Derbyshire homes

South Yorkshire Police says Dylan Steele snapped door locks to access people's homes then escaped in the occupants' vehicles

A prolific burglar who broke into dozens of homes in order to steal high value cars has been jailed.

Dylan Steele, 19, from Sheffield, raided homes across South Yorkshire and Derbyshire by snapping door locks to gain entry, police said.

He then searched for car keys after gaining entry to the addresses.

At Sheffield Crown Court on Friday, Steele was sentenced to four years and three months in jail after admitting a string of charges relating to burglary.

South Yorkshire Police said Steele, of Water Slacks Close, burgled homes in Rotherham and Sheffield in South Yorkshire along with Dronfield and Chesterfield in North Derbyshire.

The force said on arrest he told officers his "preferred method of entry to homes was by snapping door locks" targeting homes with "high-value, premium vehicles".

Shannon Lake, who led the investigation for South Yorkshire Police, said: "May I take this opportunity to encourage homeowners to review their home security and consider upgrading their locks to three-star anti-snap locks, as these are more secure.

"We hope that seeing Steele imprisoned will provide some closure to the victims whose properties he targeted and they can now start to move on with their lives."