A GANG of burglars who stole computer equipment worth tens of thousands of pounds from 26 schools including five in Leigh, Atherton and Tyldesley have been jailed for nearly 20 years.

Samuel Grimes, 24, of Georgina Court, Bolton, Benjamin Grimes, 26, of Tintern Avenue, Bolton, Mark Rhodes, 30, of Adrian Street, Moston and Christopher Moore, 29 of Wolsey Street, Heywood, were found guilty of conspiracy to commit burglary.

The four burglars targeted schools across the north west including Hindsford St Anne’s CE Primary School, Sacred Heart Primary School and Sacred Heart Social Club, in Atherton, Fred Longworth High School in Tyldesley and St John’s CE Infant School in Leigh On Friday Samuel Grimes was jailed for two years and eight months, Benjamin Grimes was jailed for seven years, Mark Rhodes was jailed for six years and six months and Christopher Moore was jailed for three years and four months.

The court heard how the gang targeted 26 different schools, committing burglaries in multiple locations across Greater Manchester.

Operation Anglesey was an investigation by officers who were able to link together the 26 burglaries due to similar methods used by the gang during each break-in.

Typically the gang would use the same method in each crime, with a member of the group visiting the school during the day and removing an alarm sensor from the main external doors.

They would then return when the school was empty, breaking in through the unsecure door and stealing laptops, iPads and computer equipment, before selling it across the world.

When the investigating officers used the ‘Find my iPad’ application for one of the stolen items, they were astonished to discover it had ended up in China.

Detective inspector Charlotte Cadden said: “This is a superb result for our officers, who have worked incredibly hard to bring this gang to justice.

“The impact their crime spree has had on these schools has been massive, and can not only be measured in financial terms.

“Obviously the cost to the various education authorities has been huge, but the impact these thefts had on the school children must also be acknowledged.

“Many of those children had irreplaceable school work saved on these devices, and that is now lost forever thanks to these men.

“Their crimes affected a huge number of children across the north west, and this gang are fully deserving of the substantial custodial sentences handed out by the judge.”