A "prolific thief" who jumped from a hotel window after being caught with stolen loot, has been jailed.

Oliver Cooper, from Hilary Avenue, Mitcham, was sentenced on Wednesday for a number of burglaries, motor vehicle crimes and drugs offences in Merton and Croydon.

In May, 31-year-old Cooper crashed a Chevrolet Orlando into a goods vehicle in Croydon.

Police then traced him to a hotel where he jumped from a first floor window in a desperate bid to escape.

His hotel room contained stolen watches and jewellery from cross-border burglaries and a large quantity of cannabis.

He was sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on December 12 to three-and-a-half years in prison for handling stolen goods, dangerous driving and drugs offences after a lengthy investigation by Merton police.

He was also sentenced for breaching a suspended sentence he had previously been given for burglary and theft.

Detective Chief Superintendent Darren Williams, Merton police’s Borough Commander, said: "The sentence given to Cooper indicates that those who burgle and steal in Merton can expect to go to prison for a long time.

"I would like to praise the dedication, resilience and detective ability of the officers on my crime squad but especially Detective Constable James Leeks who ran the case.

"James worked tirelessly to gather a vast number of statements and forensic evidence.

"It is thanks to his work that Cooper now has this and the next few Christmases to reflect on the harm he has caused in Merton."