A car and other items belonging to a burglar who stole property worth £290,000 during break-ins at 35 homes in Suffolk will be sold at auction to raise money to pay compensation.

Stephen Mainwaring targeted unoccupied detached houses in rural areas while the owners were out or on holiday during a two-year spate of offending, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Several of the items stolen by Mainwaring were of great sentimental value and included an engagement ring, and jewellery belonging to a homeowner’s late wife.

He also stole three cars and a motorbike as well as a shotgun and cartridges after forcing open a secure gun cabinet at one of the burgled properties.

In 2017 Mainwaring, 51, of Shepherd’s Grove Industrial Estate, Stanton, admitted five burglaries at properties in Great Barton, Stowlangtoft, Norton and Ixworth, theft of two cars and a motor bike and possessing a shotgun and ammunition without a certificate and was jailed for six years.

He asked for 31 offences to be taken into consideration including 30 burglaries at Conyers Way, Tewkesbury Place, Livermore Road, School Road, Woodland Place and The Coppice in Great Barton, Upthorpe Road, Duke Street, Michaelhouse Way, Mickfields, Barningham Road and Dale Road in Stanton, Sandy Lane, Barningham, Micklesmere Drive and Thistledown Drive in Ixworth, Norton Road and Flatts Lane in Tostock, Low Street, Bardwell, Bury Road, Market Weston, Church View, Stowlangtoft, Fen Road, Pakenham, Heath Road, Norton and Culford Road in Ingram. They were committed between February 2015 and August 2017.

Mainwaring was arrested at his home after his DNA was discovered on tools left at one of the burglaries.

Police recovered two of the stolen cars and a significant amount of stolen property including a shotgun.

On Friday, March 1 a hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act heard that a Mercedes car, a Peugeot van and two rings had been seized from Mainwaring’s rented property and they were expected to raise £7,739 at auction.

Wayne Cleaver, prosecuting, said Mainwaring’s benefit from his offending was £271,018 but as he only had assets of £7,739 Judge Rupert Overbury made a confiscation order in that sum.

Mr Cleaver asked that £3,613 of the money should be paid as compensation.