Six crooks put behind bars as cops step up battle against burglars.

Officers say opportunistic offenders making lives a misery for residents across Sunderland and South Tyneside will 'not be tolerated' - and will be locked up.

Six burglars have been jailed for a total of over 9 years as police continue their crackdown on crime.

Another culprit was slapped with a suspended prison term.

Three of the crooks were involved in the same burglary in Jarrow in South Tyneside while two were responsible for a burglary in Grangetown in Sunderland. One woman burgled a house in South Shields and one man carried out two burglaries in Sunderland. David Kelly, 35, of Beach Road, in South Shields, was sentenced to two years four months for a burglary at Broomfield in Jarrow. He was sentenced on July 22. Michael Wilson, 26, of Wiralshir, Leam Lane Estate, sentenced to one year four months also for the burglary at Broomfield. He was sentenced on July 22. Robert Little, 23, of Clyde Avenue, in Hebburn, was also given one year four months for the Broomfield burglary. He was sentenced on July 22. John Henderson, 49, of Hylton Road, was sentenced to 16 months for a burglary on Leechmere Industrial Estate in Grangetown. He was sentenced on July 20. Stephen Kenneth Cutter, 46, of Felstead Crescent, in Sunderland, was also given 16 months for the burglary on Leechmere Industrial Estate. He was sentenced on July 20. Shaun Ellwood, 45, of Ethel Terrace, Sunderland, was sentenced to two years four months for two burglaries at a social club and office premises in Sunderland. He was sentenced on July 19.

Gemma Louise Smith, 31, of Beethoven Street, South Shields, was sentenced to 15 months in prison, suspended for 18 months for a burglary at Spohr Terrace. She was sentenced on July 22. Southern Area Command Detective Inspector Paul Stewart said: "These are great results not just for the police but also for our communities to know that these burglars have been sentenced and all but one are in prison where they cannot commit any further crime. "We've been working incredibly hard to target burglars throughout Sunderland and South Tyneside and have been actively pursuing known offenders to prevent them from committing anymore crime and we will continue to do this so that our communities are safer and free from burglars.

"We will not tolerate people going round burgling people's homes or other premises and will do everything we can within our powers to prevent this from happening."