MEMBERS of a sophisticated car ringing operation have been sentenced.

Met police officers from Operation Demon raided 16 addresses in Bromley, Bexley, Croydon, Lewisham and west Kent in July last year.

Fifty cars had been recovered in the lead up to the operation and the majority were no more than a year old.

They were taken by burglars who broke into houses overnight and stole car-keys while the owners slept upstairs.

Kirsty Burgess, of Bromley Road, Beckenham was given a 12-month community order and must carry out 200 hours of unpaid work after pleading guilty to the handling of stolen goods.

The 28-year-old appeared at Croydon Crown Court as a member of a 10-strong criminal network which was stealing high value vehicles in residential areas, before ringing them and selling them on to innocent members of the public.

Burgess played a minor role allowing her address to be used to receive registrations from the DVLA and knew little about the enterprise.

Perry Brown, aged 23, of Constable Mews, Bromley, was jailed for nine months for the handling of stolen goods after admitting his role in handling a stolen car.

Brown also pleaded guilty to possession of Class B drugs with intent to supply, and concealing criminal property, £20,000 of dye-stained cash, for which he was jailed for one year and six months.

He was jailed for a total of two years and three months.

Seven other members of the group were jailed for more than 17 years. Another received a suspended sentence.