A prolific thief has been jailed after he was found guilty of a series of burglaries and thefts across South London.

The Met Police said that 26-year-old Francis Graham represented a 'one-man crime wave' after he was found guilty of five counts of burglary, four counts of theft and one count of breaching a suspended sentence.

He plead guilty to all charges and was sentenced on Monday, November 16 in relation to a spree of thefts and burglaries largely related to bicycles, bike shops and associated equipment.

The thefts stretched the length of South London and ran from October 2019 through September this year, including:

- Theft from motor vehicle at Baches Street, Hackney on 29 October 2019;

- Commercial burglary at Queenshurst Square, Kingston on 29 November 2019;

- Theft of pedal cycle from a shop at Richmond Road, Kingston on 6 December 2019;

- Theft of pedal cycle at Broom Road, Richmond on 6 December 2019;

- Commercial burglary at Shepherds Bush Road, W6 on 13 December 2019;

- Commercial burglary at Kensal Road, W10 on 17 December 2019;

- Commercial burglary at Church Road, Teddington on 30 January;

- Theft of pedal cycle at St Bartholemews Hospital, on 10 July;

- Commercial burglary at Woods Road, SE15, on 10 July;

- Theft of pedal cycle at Heygate Street, SE17 on 4 August;

- Theft of pedal cycle at Cheapside, EC2 on 23 September.

Police said he was sentenced to five counts of burglary: 12 months for each count, to run concurrent, plus four counts of theft and one count of theft from motor vehicle (eight months for each, to run consecutively to the burglary counts) and One count of breach of suspended sentence (four months’ imprisonment, to run consecutive to the other charges).

Graham was also handed a five-year Criminal Behaviour Order was also granted.

HHJ Davies, said during the sentencing hearing: “You were a one man crime wave stealing in a sophisticated way.

"You tailgated residents into areas to which you didn’t have access, removing decent locks and taking bicycles.

"What happened afterwards remains a mystery. How much you got for them and who benefits from them, where they are now remains a mystery.

""It causes upset and stress to lose a bicycle, taking into account the cost of them. They are expensive. These were not toys, they were used for commuting," the judge added.

"One was stolen from a hospital worker from a secure compound. These offences are aggravated by your previous convictions, which are many.

"Your previous convictions are around theft of bicycles. You are a professional bike thief. In my judgement these offences are so serious that only a custodial sentence is justified."