Mark Nicholls, of Hawke Road, Ipswich, and Leroy Thomas Clarke, of Ipswich, jailed for more than a year each for rural burglaries in Middleton, Thorpeness and Great Bealings

Police have urged residents and farmers to ‘not suffer in silence’ after two men were jailed for rural burglaries.

Leroy Thomas Clarke, 35, of Ipswich, was jailed for 16 months and banned from driving for 38 months at Ipswich Crown Court on July 8.

He had been charged in May for rural burglary of a commercial premises in Middleton and driving while disqualified. He was remanded in custody before appearing at court.

Clarke pleaded guilty to the driving offence, while an ‘indicated guilty’ plea was entered for the burglary. He was sentenced to six weeks in prison for the former and 16 months for the latter, to be served concurrently.

Mark Nicholls, 42, of Hawke Road, Ipswich, was jailed for a year after admitting two residential burglaries at Ipswich Crown Court in July 15.

He targeted two properties – one in Great Bealings in April and another in Thorpeness in May.

In the wake of the sentences, Chris Green, rural crime sergeant at Suffolk Police, advised farmers and rural property owners not to suffer in silence.

“Our Rural Crime Team is intelligence-led so any information from rural communities is essential to help us focus our work and target criminality,” he said.

“The Rural Crime Team specialise in this area and we strongly recommend people make the investment in target hardening their properties with additional security features and marking equipment of value.

Sgt Green added anyone who would like advice in relation to crime prevention can email rwp@suffolk.police.uk.