A MAN has been sentenced to two years behind bars for three counts of burglary after he was identified following an appeal on BBC’s Crimewatch.

The appeal related to burglaries at the Yew Tree pub in Boreham Road, Warminster, The Teddy Rowe in Horsecastle Road, Sherborne, and the Swan Inn in Stoford, Salisbury, where cash was stolen from tills.

John Ward, 32, of Orton Road, Manchester, appeared at Swindon Crown Court on March 25 as a result of information received from the public when the appeal, which featured CCTV images, was broadcast in September 2016.

Officers from Wiltshire Police attended Ward’s address in Manchester on October 18, 2016 and he was arrested.

He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years for each of the three burglaries. The sentences will run concurrently.

Detective Sergeant Jim Stannard said: “I would like to thank the members of the public who responded to the Crimewatch appeal which featured clear CCTV footage of Ward targeting three pubs in the Wiltshire and Dorset areas.

“It is thanks to the information we received that we were able to quickly identify him, locate him and arrest him.

“Burglaries of this nature can be very upsetting and distressing for hard-working landlords trying to run successful businesses.

“I am pleased with the sentence handed to Ward. I hope it is of some reassurance to the victims of these burglaries - Wiltshire Police take reports of this nature seriously, and will go to great lengths to ensure the offenders are brought to justice.”