Undercover police officers caught a prolific thief who stole bikes worth more than £10,000.

The Colchester Town Policing Team set up an undercover operation after several reports of bike thefts in and around the town centre.

A suspect, Nicholas Kendall, 36,was spotted by Pc Ben Knighton and Pc Joesph Daunt and stopped.

Kendall, of no fixed address, was found carrying tools and arrested, and he admitted to the officers he was behind three bike thefts – and was planning to carry out more that day.

He admitted seven counts of theft during a hearing at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court, and asked for a further 20 to be taken into consideration.

Magistrates sentenced him to nine month’s imprisonment.

Pc Knighton said: “It is always satisfying to catch an active bicycle thief in the area, particularly as the value of the bikes totalled £10,516 and Kendall admitted he was looking to commit more thefts that day.

“We are listening to the concerns of local residents and are treating reports of bike thefts seriously. This is an example of how we are taking action and demonstrates that Essex Police will pursue those responsible for committing thefts and do our utmost to ensure they are put behind bars.”

Pc Daunt added: “Kendall explained thieves would target good quality bikes with cable locks, as he could break into these in under a minute.

“We would encourage cyclists to be mindful of security and lock their bikes properly using a good quality lock.”